A bar is a long raised narrow table or bench designed for ...

[(David P.)]

A bar is a long raised narrow table or bench designed for
dispensing beer or other alcoholic drinks. They were originally
chest high, & a bar, often brass, ran the length of the table,
just above floor height, for customers to rest a foot on, which
gave the table its name. Over many years, heights of bars were
lowered, & high stools added, & the brass bar remains today.
The name bar became identified with the business, (aka a saloon
or a tavern or sometimes as a pub or club, referring to the
actual establishment, as in pub bar or club bar etc.) is a retail
business establishment that serves alcoholic beverages, such as
beer, wine, liquor, cocktails, & other beverages such as mineral
water & soft drinks. Bars often also sell snack foods such as
crisps (aka potato chips) or peanuts, for consumption on their
premises. Some types of bars, such as pubs, may also serve food
from a restaurant menu. The term "bar" also refers to the
countertop & area where drinks are served. The term "bar" derives
from the metal or wooden bar (barrier) that is often located
along the length of the "bar".

Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or
counters for their patrons. Bars that offer entertainment or
live music are often referred to as "music bars", "live venues",
or "nightclubs". Types of bars range from inexpensive dive bars
to elegant places of entertainment, often accompanying
restaurants for dining.

Many bars operate a discount period, designated a "happy hour"
or discount of the day to encourage off-peak-time patronage.
Bars that fill to capacity sometimes implement a cover charge
or a minimum drink-purchase requirement during their peak hours.
Bars may have bouncers to ensure that patrons are of legal age,
to eject drunk or belligerent patrons, and to collect cover
charges. Such bars often feature entertainment, which may be a
live band, vocalist, comedian, or DJ playing recorded music.

Patrons may sit or stand at the counter and be served by the
bartender. Depending on the size of a bar and its approach,
alcohol may be served at the bar by bartenders, at tables by
servers, or by a combination of the two. The "back bar" is a
set of shelves of glasses and bottles behind the counter. In
some establishments, the back bar is elaborately decorated
with woodwork, etched glass, mirrors, and lights.

There have been many different names for public drinking
spaces throughout history. In the colonial era of the US,
taverns were an important meeting place, as most other
institutions were weak. During the 19th c. saloons were very
important to the leisure time of the working class. Today,
even when an establishment uses a different name, such as
"tavern" or "saloon" or, in the UK, a "pub", the area of the
establishment where the bartender pours or mixes beverages
is normally called "the bar".

The sale and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages was
prohibited in the first half of the 20th c. in several countries,
including Finland, Iceland, Norway, & the US. In the US, illegal
bars during Prohibition were called "speakeasies", "blind pigs",
& "blind tigers".