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‘Coffee Lady’ Wakes Up Saturday Farmers’ Market with Her Special Brews

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

For many Saratoga Farmers’ Market regulars, Saturday morning starts with a stop at Something’s Brewing owned by Beth Trattel, aka “the coffee lady.” Trattel offers coffees made from beans that she roasts herself, teas, ciders, Italian sodas, and a range of other beverages, brewed out of Trattel’s imagination and willingness to do a little “homework.”

Roasted Coffee by Something’s Brewing. Photo by Pattie Garrett

“I’m here to support farmers,” she says. “To help them make a living.”

Trattel grew up in Argyle, on land adjacent to a dairy farm. Her father yearned to be a farmer, but her mother wanted a home with a sidewalk in front. Her father became a cooperative extension agent with a large garden on the side.

Trattel inherited her father’s love for growing flowers, berries, herbs, and simple greens. She began working in the restaurant industry at age 19, and in 2004, opened Something’s Brewing as a coffee shop in Greenwich. In 2008, Dave and Marge Randle, owners of Argyle Cheese Farmer, suggested she bring her brews to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

“They had nothing of the sort at that time,” she recalls.

Trattel uses and promotes market ingredients in her offerings: milk from Battenkill Valley Creamery, cider from Saratoga Apple, marshmallows from The Chocolate Spoon, maple syrup from Slate Valley Farm, to name a few.

She also creates ingredients on her own: She makes syrup for Italian sodas out of berries she grows and creates teas with flowers and herbs from her garden, gathering, dehydrating and blending them herself.

“I like experimenting,” says Trattel.

Real Maple Latte

In 2018, Trattel embarked on a new experiment. She began roasting her own coffee beans, creating hearty, flavorful blends. She now sells her blends in half-pound packets, giving customers who like their Saturday morning market coffee an opportunity to make their own at home.

“I enjoy roasting,” said Trattel. “It’s interesting to work with beans in this way.” 

As for her mother, she did get her house with a sidewalk when her parents retired and moved to a house in Ithaca, leaving their daughter to carry out her father’s passion for growing edible things.

Roaster Makes His Coffee Part of an Adirondacks Narrative

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By Julia Howard

 

Upper Hudson Coffee, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Late winter in the Adirondacks often feels like a morning slow to kick-start. The clouds hang low. The air feels frigid. One’s palate desires something soothing to the soul. That something might just rest in a cup of Joe, specifically the brews being devised artisanal style by Jim Williams at his Upper Hudson Coffee roasting room.

Williams established Upper Hudson Coffee 18 months ago in North Creek. He joined the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as a holiday vendor last November and opted to continue through the winter. He begins his roasts from a single-sourced bean known as La Pastora Tarrazu. The bean, from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica, is dense in its flavor and known for producing a bright, crisp flavor, suitable for the medium to dark roasts that Williams creates.

Williams worked as a teacher for 23 years in Lake Placid. After stints of training pro cyclists and living in California, he returned to North Creek to build a house and re-evaluate his life. In coffee, he found a way to connect with a hands-on process that he loves and with a community he enjoys.

Selling at the farmers’ market supports these connections by bringing him into direct contact with those who buy his brews.

Williams’ starts his coffees with a quality roast. He then blends, smokes, and infuses the beans to give his brews character and taste: Roosevelt has a strong bold flavor reminiscent of President Theodore Roosevelt, whereas H.H. Barton (named after a gem seeker who gathered garnet around North Creek) has a lighter, jewel-like touch. Dietter’s Campfire has a smoky flavor, and Melissa Perkins offers hints of unsweetened chocolate and pasilla chili.

For Williams, the coffee is not just a morning lift. It is a beverage that deserves authenticity. “Adirondack locals aren’t frivolous with money,” Williams says. “They will spend it on the best product possible. I work to make my coffee authentic and accessible.”

“I’ve never been materialistic myself,” he adds, “and I like the process.”

Saratoga Farmers’ Market goers can obtain Upper Hudson Coffee by the bag from Williams. Or they can purchase a cup from the Something’s Brewing beverage stand.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.