# Barback

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Bartender's assistant

A **barback** (sometimes spelled as **bar-back**, also commonly known as a **runner** in Europe or a **glassy** in Australia) is a [bartender](/source/Bartender)'s assistant. They are responsible for keeping the bar stocked, clean, and user-friendly for the bartender.[1] Barbacks work in [nightclubs](/source/Nightclub), bars, pubs, restaurants, and catering halls and usually receive a portion of the bartender's tips. Barbacks are often under the [tutelage](/source/Tutoring) of a bartender and work their way up to a bartending job.[2]

Barbacks are essentially [commis](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/commis) bartenders, and are there to simplify a bartender's job and prepare the bar by stocking it with [liquor](/source/Liquor), ice, glassware, beer, [garnishes](/source/Cocktail_garnish), and so on. During the evening, they also collect and wash dirty dishes and glassware, clean tables (though there is a [busser](/source/Busser) for this in larger bars), change [kegs](/source/Keg), and help to pack up the bar after closing time.[2]

Although the [legal drinking age](/source/Legal_drinking_age) in the [United States](/source/United_States) is 21, the minimum age to work as a bartender or barback varies from 18 to 21.[3]

## See also

- [List of public house topics](/source/List_of_public_house_topics)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Cassavoy, Liane; magazine, Entrepreneur (2013-12-24). [*Start Your Own Bar and Club*](https://books.google.com/books?id=i88BAwAAQBAJ&dq=barback&pg=PA115). Entrepreneur Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-59918-519-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59918-519-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-abarabove_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-abarabove_2-1) Tunstall, Chris. ["What is a Barback? The Ultimate Guide to the Bartender's Sidekick"](https://www.abarabove.com/barback/). *A Bar Above*. Retrieved 6 October 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [What is the Legal Bartending Age?](https://web.archive.org/web/20120413114716/http://www.zizzoo.com/guides/bartending/legalage/index.php) Nexgen, 2006-12-05.

## Further reading

- Ville, Cooper (2013). *Straight Up: A Guide to a Better Bar Experience* (First ed.). LuLu Press, Inc. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-300-88262-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-300-88262-6).

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