At the tip of a residential street in downtown Pittsburgh, you will find a small coffee shop with a hidden surprise upstairs. As you enter Tonic Coffee, order your triple shot americano and head up the stairs in the back, you will be immediately greeted by 90’s pop-punk, steel racks of beverages that go on for days, and the bright smiling face of Mel Bee, the owner, and operator of Open Road Bar.
On this summer day, I am greeted by Mel as she sets up a sampling of Lemon Quest by DogfishHead. As we discuss the multiple sours available, I strike up a conversation the way you always do with seemingly sober people…
Are you sober?
I’m actually not. First off, ‘sober’ is not really a word that I agree with for myself. I mostly don’t drink. It’s pretty rare. I like to try things though- and my partner drinks, so I get to steal a little taste of everything they try, and then they can have the full-size beer.
God bless you for that self-control!
It’s self-control, [but] it’s mostly just knowing that alcohol makes me sick. I just go straight to the hangover. As soon as it starts to turn, I just feel icky and ‘why did I do that?’ So, I wouldn’t use ‘sober’ for myself, but I don’t drink to get drunk.
We pause our conversation as Mel greets another set of customers and continues to set up her tasting. Like myself, the other customers roam the many racks of non-alcoholic beers, spirits, wines, and more. The selection is so large it’s almost overwhelming and I am reminded of the countless hours I’ve spent in my drinking days staring at coolers and coolers of craft beer, unable to pick out the one six-pack I want to drink. It’s a nice feeling to have this conundrum again, but without the inevitable future of hangovers and regrettable decision-making.
As Mel guides the customers through a tasting of Lemon Quest and shows them the different options for non-alcoholic whiskeys, I look on and continue to add to the large pile of beers I am going to purchase that I have placed on the floor.
Another customer comes in and she and Mel clearly know each other. Another repeat customer. This is a trend for nearly everyone who comes in this morning. As they talk, I learn that the extravagantly large pile of beers, spirits, and teas behind her are for online orders that Mel will be packing up and either shipping or delivering. I slip back into customer mode and join in with the customers trying out some of the samples Mel has laid out, indulging in some of Ritual’s Rum and finally trying the Lemon Quest after I already added a six-pack of it to my floor pile. After helping out the next couple of customers, I’m able to drill into Mel a bit more.
So how do you go from purchasing to distribution? Were you doing this out of your house and then got a storefront?
[laughs] I was doing it out of a storage unit. An indoor, temperature-controlled, well-maintained storage unit. It actually started as a pop-up bar, pre-pandemic in January 2020. I did a pop-up for Dry January in a coffee shop downtown and it went really well- better than I was expecting. The first Friday of that event, I partnered with another group here in Pittsburgh that was doing sober events called Empath. So they brought their following and we literally slapped their menu on top of my cocktail menu; I did beer and stuff. It was great cause I was able to talk to the people who were interested in the beers and the spirit stuff- and of course, this was before 90% of this stuff was even out yet!
Which is crazy!
Right?! I had Athletic, I had Hoplark, Gruvi, and Bravus.
What’s it been like watching all this grow?
Monday Gin came out during that pop-up. I had Kickstarted that campaign and it showed up during my [pop-up]. I think it’s great that more people are exploring options and examining their relationships with alcohol now. I think a lot of people coped in that way for a while and realized it wasn’t healthy, and I’m getting a lot of people now that are exploring other options.
“I think it’s great that more people are exploring options and examining their relationships with alcohol now.”
-Mel Bee
It’s funny because I look around this room and I’m thinking ‘oh, she doesn’t have anything from this brewery or this brewery’, and that’s crazy! It used to be two or three, and in your opinion, being in this industry now, where do you think that demand comes from all of a sudden?
I think that more people know about it. [They] know about it as a good option. You know, Athletic [Brewing] is amazing, of course, and their incredible variety with their limited releases, right? But I think the most important thing that Athletic has done is their reach. So many people I know are like ‘oh yeah, I get ads for them’. Or people come in here and Athletic is the one they recognize; Athletic, HopTea, and Kin [Euphorics].
What effect do you think Heineken 0.0 had on this industry?
Great advertising! And they’re advertising at many sports events. I get so excited! It’s a whole audience of people that aren’t necessarily getting Facebook and Instagram ads.
What’s your favorite beer? [The question puts a familiar look on her face that I know to mean ‘I have to pick one?’] Ok, how about by style?
[laughs] Okay.
IPA?
I’m not a big IPA fan, so my answer is not [Athletic Brewing] Free Wave. I really like Wayfarer by Atmos, but on a more IPA-side of things, I really like Two Roots Straight Drank.
Wheat?
Ceria Grainwave, but this week I am really enjoying Athletic’s Single-Hop Wheat.
Darks?
Bravus has great stouts and I really like their re-brand. I really like Gruvi [Stout]. I do like dark beers and I’m really excited.
Fruity & Sour?
So, I am a sour person. I am really hoping that more of them become staples, rather than seasonal or limited. I love the Florida Weisse from Untitled Art.
As Mel greeted another customer. I made my final selections and proceeded to pay for my $180 order. Whoops! 😊
Open Road Bar is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but distributes to the entire country. If you see beers you like or want to try (such as the ones I review on The Sober Curator), go to http://www.openroadbarpgh.com and order yourself some today! Open Road Bar carries a huge selection of everything from NA beers to NA wines, NA spirits, and a mixture of teas, euphorics, and much more. You can get singles, six-packs, or a whole case! Check them out and tell Mel I said hi!
NA Beers & 90s
Justin Lamb is dedicated to tasting great (and sometimes not so great) NA beers and showcasing his amazing collection of memorabilia from the ’90s. So far in 2021, Justin has reviewed over 20+ NA beers and he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. If nonalcoholic craft beer is your jam, Justin is the guy you want to get to know and follow on IG @justinlambmusic
RECOVERY PODCASTLAND: Want more Justin in your life? We don’t blame you! Check out his podcast Friend Request! Justin has in-depth interviews with people he follows on social media, as well as his own social media followers. Friend Request dives deeper than the likes and comments. With each episode, Justin tries to create a more meaningful conversation about each individual he’s connected with. Justin ties each interview together with the commonalities and struggles that not only are extremely relatable but also fall across the entire spectrum of the human experience.
Latest Episode from Friend Request:
Resources are available
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.