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

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

's assistant. They are responsible for keeping the bar stocked, clean, and user-friendly for the bartender. Barbacks work in

nightclubs A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and ...

, 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 essentially commis bartenders, and are there to simplify a bartender's job and prepare the bar by stocking it with

liquor Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...

, ice, glassware, beer, garnishes, and so on. During the evening, they also collect and wash dirty dishes and glassware, clean tables (though there is a

busser In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting sta ...

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 betwe ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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.

See also

References

Further reading