How to Have a Great Dry (or Damp) January in Pittsburgh
It’s our birthday! City Cast Pittsburgh is celebrating two years making podcasts for yinz — 458 so far — plus well over 500 newsletters! So we’re celebrating by popping a bottle with our city’s pioneering nonalcoholic space. The Open Road in Allentown is the oldest (still open) NA specialty retailer in the nation, lined with zero-proof spirits, botanical and CBD seltzers, and even dry versions of your favorite classics. We visited the shop to talk to owner Mel Babitz about how this booze-free business is growing, the toughest alcoholic drinks to recreate, and how to pick your perfect NA adult beverage. Plus, we’re sharing a few of our favorite strategies for folks like us who are trying out Dry January, or just feel sober curious for 2024.
**Editor’s note: A portion of this episode originally published Thursday, July 27, 2024.
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
- Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
- We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
- Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Riverfront Trails Expand, Exercise for Beginners & Tim Burton Takeover
Have you ever been enjoying a bike ride along the riverfront, only for the trail to end abruptly? Good news! The city is planning to clos...

Create Your Own Pittsburgh Food Tour
Looking for your next fall getaway? What about a curated road trip with lots of tasty stops and local history? Our state's tourism site i...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How One Oregon City is Lowering Energy Costs — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
What’s a seemingly small project in Pittsburgh that’s made a big difference? In the Oregon suburb of Tualatin, a drinking water pipe has...

UPMC Yields to Trump, County Bans Big Data Centers & Goodbye Millennial Gray?
UPMC just placed a decade-long moratorium on gender-affirming care for patients under 19 and agreed to pay the federal government $950,00...

A Warrant, a Budget & Pittsburgh’s Missing $250M
Former Mayor Ed Gainey is under investigation and facing allegations of improper contracts, questionable financial decisions, and potenti...

Pittsburgh’s Flock Camera Problem
Allegheny County the most Flock cameras and automated license plate readers in PA, according to crowdsourced data. Host Megan Harris is w...

Can $25M Make Smithfield Cool Again?
In the midst of Downtown’s larger $600 million makeover, Smithfield Street’s been waiting its turn. Crews are breaking ground today on th...

Paid Parental Leave Proposal Gets a Makeover
After weighing over 1,400 public comments — mostly from parents, health care workers, and small business owners — the county health depar...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Philly Is Reducing Violence With Parks — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Would Pittsburgh be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime...

Ripping Out Skill Games, Mandatory Fun & RIP Annie Dillard
Will state police start ripping skill games out of convenience stores, vape shops, and other spots? That's what could happen if lawmakers...


