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A 'bar' (also called a pub or tavern) is a business that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and mixed drinks, for consumption on the premises. Bars provide stools or chairs for the patrons along tables or raised counters. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go dancers, a floor show or strippers (see strip club). Bars that are part of hotels are sometimes called ''long bars'' or ''hotel lounges''.
The term "bar" is derived from the specialized counter on which drinks are served and is a synecdoche applied to the whole of the drinking establishment. The "back bar" or "gantry" is a set of shelves of glasses and bottles behind that counter. In some bars, the gantry is elaborately decorated with woodwork, etched glass, mirrors, and lights. When food is served elsewhere in the establishment, it may also be ordered and eaten at the bar.

Contents

Kinds of bars

Bars around the world

United States

Canada

United Kingdom & Ireland

Australia

Italy

Spain

Elsewhere

Bar-related trivia

Fictional bars

Sources

See also

Kinds of bars

There are many types of bars, which can be categorized according to the types of entertainment provided at the bar and by their clientèle.
Bars categorized by the type of entertainment or activities offered at the bar include: ''Topless bars'', where topless female employees serve drinks or dance; ''sports bars'', where sports fans watch games on large-screen televisions; ''salsa bars'', where patrons dance to Latin salsa music; and ''dance bar''s, which have a modest-sized dance floor where patrons dance to recorded music. However, if a dance bar has a large dance floor and hires well-known professional DJs, it is usually considered to be nightclub or discothèque.
Bars categorized by the clientele who come to the bar include: ''biker bars'', which are bars frequented by motorcycle enthusiasts, and in some regions, motorcycle gang members; ''gay bars'', where gay men or women dance and socialize; ''cop bars'', where off-duty law enforcement agents gather; and ''singles bars'' where (mostly) unmarried people of both genders can socialize and meet.
A bar owners and managers typically chose establishment names, decor, drink menus, lighting and other elements they can control so as to attract a certain clientele. However, bar operators have only limited influence over who patronizes their establishments and a bar envisioned for one demographic can become popular with another. For example, a gay bar with a dance floor might attract an increasingly-straight clientele over time and vice versa. As well, a blues club may become a de facto "biker bar" if its main clients are biker gang members.
There are also retro bars and lounge bars.

Bars around the world

United States

In the United States of America, legal distinctions often exist between restaurants, bars, and even ''types of'' bars. These distinctions vary from state to state, and even among municipalities. ''Beer bars'' (sometimes called taverns or pubs) may be legally restricted to only selling beer or possibly wine, cider and other low-proof beverages. ''Liquor bars'' sell everything from beer to hard liquor.
Bars are sometimes exempt from smoking bans that restaurants are subject to, even if those restaurants have liquor licenses. The distinction between a restaurant that serves liquor and a bar is usually made by the percentage of revenue earned from selling liquor, although increasingly, smoking bans include bars too.
In most places, bars are prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages ''to go'' and this makes them clearly different from liquor stores. Some brewpubs and wineries can serve alcohol ''to go'', but under the rules applied to a liquor store. In some areas, such as New Orleans and parts of Las Vegas, open containers of alcohol may be prepared ''to go''. This kind of restriction is usually dependent on open container law. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, bars may sell six packs of beer "to-go" in original (sealed) containers by obtaining a take-out license.
Historically, the western United States featured 'saloons'. Many saloons survive in the western United States, though their services and features have changed with the times. Newer establishments have been built in the saloon style to duplicate the feeling of the older establishments.
Many Irish or British-themed "pubs" exist throughout United States and Canada and in some continental European countries.

Canada

In Alberta, for example, patrons can order beer for "take-out" at the end of the night, a practice which is illegal in provinces such as Ontario. In some provinces, such as Quebec, patrons can drink until 3 a.m.
In Nova Scotia, particularly in Halifax, there was, until the 1r men's facilities.

United Kingdom & Ireland

In the UK and Ireland, bars are either areas that serve alcoholic drinks within establishments such as hotels, restaurants, universities, or are a particular type of establishment which serves alcoholic drinks such as wine bars, "style bars", private membership only bars. However the main type of establishment selling alcohol for consumption on the premises is the public house or ''pub''. Some bars are similar to nightclubs in that they feature loud music, subdued lighting, or operate a dress code and admissions policy, with inner city bars generally having bouncers at the entrance.

Australia

In Australia, traditionally the 'public bar' was where only men drank, while the 'lounge bar' or 'saloon bar' was where women or men could drink (i.e. mixed drinking). This distinction is not seen now as anti-discrimination legislation and women's rights activism has broken down the concept of a public drinking area accessible to only one sex. Where two bars still exist in the one establishment, one (that derived from the 'public bar') will be more downmarket while the other (deriving from the 'lounge bar') will be more upmarket. Over time, with the introduction of gaming machines into hotels, many 'lounge bars' have or are being converted into gaming rooms.
In the major Australian cities there is an immense and diverse bar scene with a range of ambiences, modes and styles catering for every echelon of cosmopolitan society. Melbourne maintains a strong hold of the up and coming drinking scene.

Italy

In Italy, a 'bar' is a place more similar to a ''Café'', where people go during the morning or the afternoon, usually to take a coffee, a cappuccino, a hot chocolate and eat some kind of snack like pastries and sandwiches (''panini'' or ''tramezzini''). However, any kind of alcoholic beverages are served. Opening hours vary: some establishments are open since very early in the morning and close relatively early in the evening; others, especially if next to a theater or a cinema, may be open until late at night.
In larger cities like Milan, Rome, Turin or Genoa, many larger bars are also restaurants and disco clubs.
Many Italian bars have introduced a 'so called' "aperitivo" time in the evening: everyone who purchases an alcoholic drink then has free access to an usually abundant buffet of cold dishes like pasta salads, vegetables and various types of appetizers.

Spain

Bars in Spain are very common and form an important part in Spanish culture. Spanish bars are known for freely serving snacks called tapas or pintxos. Spain has more bars per capita than any other country in the world, with close to 6 bars per thousand inhabitants-- three times more than the UK and four times more than Germany. [1].

Elsewhere

Bars range from down-and-dirty "dives" which are little more than a dark room with a counter and some bottles of liquor, to elegant places of entertainment for the elite.
Many bars set a happy hour to encourage off-peak patronage. Contrastingly, bars that fill to capacity typically implement a cover charge, often similar in price to one or two cocktails, during their peak hours. Such bars often feature entertainment, which may be a live band, or a popular D.J..

Bar-related trivia

★ The longest bar in the world is 684 feet or about 208.5 meters long and is located at the New Bulldog in Rock Island, Illinois.

★ A bar is now located in the New York City building that once housed the National Temperance Society.

★ The United States Marine Corps' first recruiting station was in a bar.

★ Actors Tom Arnold, Sandra Bullock, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, and Bruce Willis, and musicians Dave Matthews, Kris Kristofferson, and Rob Dougan are all former bartenders.

Fictional bars

Several fictional bars have featured prominently in movies, including the following:

★ Cocktail

★ Mos Eisley Cantina (Star Wars)

★ Rick's (Casablanca)

★ Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

★ Lou's Tavern in Fight Club
Several fictional bars have featured prominently in television series, including the following:

★ ''Archie Bunker's Place''

★ Babylon on ''Queer as Folk''

★ Bada Bing on The Sopranos

★ ''Cheers''

★ Karatos on ''Angel''

★ Moe's Tavern on ''The Simpsons''

★ Phil's on ''Murphy Brown''

★ The Queen Victoria on ''EastEnders''

★ The Regal Beagle on ''Three's Company''

★ Ten Forward on ''

★ Rovers Return on ''Coronation Street''

★ The Drunken Clam on ''Family Guy''

★ P3 on ''Charmed''
For more, see the List of fictional bars.

Sources

★ Alcohol Trivia

★ Bar Promotion Network

See also

★ Tavern

★ Inn

★ Public house

★ Café

★ Izakaya

★ Dive bar

★ Juke joint

★ Honky Tonk

★ Cantina

★ Hostess bar