A barback or bar-back (commonly known as a runner in Europe or a glassy in Australia) is a

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but ...

's assistant. They are responsible for keeping the bar stocked, clean, and user friendly for the bartender. Barbacks work in nightclubs, bars, pubs, restaurants, and catering halls and usually receive a portion of the bartender's tips. Barbacks are often under the tutelage of a bartender and work their way up to a bartending job. Barbacks are there to simplify a bartender's job and prepare the bar by stocking it with liquor, ice, glassware, beer, garnishes, and so on. During the evening, they also collect and wash dirty dishes and glassware and clean tables (though there's a

busser In North America, a busser, more commonly known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting th ...

for this in larger bars), change kegs, and help to pack up the bar after closing time. Although the

legal drinking age The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...

in the United States is 21, the minimum age to work as a bartender or barback varies from 18 to 21.What is the Legal Bartending Age?
Nexgen, 2006-12-05.

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