The First Bar Appeared in Great Britain About 170 Years Ago. It Was Invented by I.K. Brunel

THE HISTORY

The first bar appeared in Great Britain about 170 years ago. It was invented by I.K. Brunel, a great British engineer, as a means of more quickly serving the sudden rush of customers from passenger trains caused by arriving at the refreshment rooms at Swindon railway station while the trains changed locomotives. It happened in 1842. The first bar to serve alcohol was installed at the Great Western Hotel constructed 9 years later (in 1851) on Paddington railway station, London. Now it is the hotel Hilton London Paddington.

WHAT IS “THE BAR” ?

It is a place which serves soft and alcoholic beverages including draft and bottled beer, wine, spirits and cocktails. The term “a bar" means a specialized counter on which drinks are served. It is also the method of serving customers from a counter. The back bar is a set of shelves of glasses and bottles behind the counter. Customers are served by a barman at the raised counter. Customers sit on stools along the raised counter. Sometimes chairs and tables are also available. Food is also served in the bar.Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, a floor show, etc. Hotel bars are called hotel lounges or long bars.

WHAT IS “THE BARMAN”?

A barman /barmaid is a person who serves beverages behind a raised bar counter in a bar, pub, tavern or similar establishments. He /she is an employee.The other name of a barman is “a bartender” . A bartender may be an employee or the bar owner. In addition to beverage-serving responsibility, bartenders - take payment from customers and waiters; - supply the bar with beverages, food, glassware and necessary equipment; - act as a part of the entertainment program; - are responsible for the atmosphere of the bar.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF BARS.

There is a great variety of bars.They may be classified according to different principles.To classify bars we may take into consideration the category of food and beverage assortment offered to the customers; the category of customers traditionally gathering in the bar; the type of activities and entertainment arranged in the premises. Let’s study all types of bars in details.

BARS CLASSIFICATIONBASED ON THE FOOD ASSORTMENT OFFERED

-SNACK BAR It is a place where customers are served with any type of snacks. A snack is a type of food which is not eaten as a main mealof the day – breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is used between these mealsto reduce the hunger. The term “snack” also refers to a food item eaten between mealsto enjoy its taste. Snacks are typically designed to be portable, quick and satisfying. The assortment of snacks offered by a snack bar may be different asit is greatly based on the food traditions of the country. With growing concerns for diet, weight control and general health,it is recommended to eat more healthy, natural snacks – such as fruit,vegetables, nuts and cereal grains.

-MILK BAR Milk bars provide a great variety of milk, sourand baked milk dishes and beverages, cheese dishes,cottage cheese and pan cakes with sour cream and various jams. Customers can taste delicious curd tartsand fancy cakes made of milk and butter. A big choice of milk cocktails, ice creams and ice cream cakes is also available.The most favorable sort of ice cream is Sundae. The variety of sundae isnumerous. They may be quite different in ingredients and prices. For details, see the next slide.WHAT IS SUNDAE? The sundae is an ice cream dessert. It consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup (often chocolate, caramel, or strawberry), and other toppings such as chopped nuts, whipped cream or maraschino cherries. Sundae was produced as popular treat for consumption on Sunday.  One of the most expensive sorts of sundae is the Serendipity Golden Opulence which is cooked and sold once a week only by Serendipity 3 restaurant in New York City. It costs $1000! The dessert consists of five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream with Madagascar vanilla, covered with a 23-carat edible gold leaf, rare sorts of chocolate, American Golden caviar, passion fruit, orange, candied fruits from Paris, marzipan cherries, and decorated with real gold dragees.  This dessert is served in a crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon. Bon appetite!

-SALAD BAR:

Salad bars provide a great variety of vegetable salads forcustomers. Most salad bars offer lettuce, sliced tomatoes,sliced vegetables such as cucumbers and celery, dried breadand cheese, and a rich choice of salad dressings.Some salad bars also have additional food items such ascooked cold meats (chicken and ham), boiled and fried eggs,cold pasta salads, corn chips, bread rolls, soup, and fresh cutfruit slices.

-FRUIT BAR

A fruit bar is a place where customers are offered a greatnumber of fruit dishes, cocktails, juices and other beverages. On the menu customers can find a rich choice of fruit andberry salads, sliced fruits with sour or whipped cream, icecreams with strawberries or jam, tarts with fruit, berry or jamtoppings, apple pies and rolls with fruit or berry fillings, etc. Fruit bars are popular with vegetarians and children.

-GRILL BAR.

Here customers have a chance to sample delicious grilled,smoked and fried dishes.On the menu you can find: grilled, smoked and fried fish,meat and sausages, spicy and juicy kebab and shish-kebab.Fried dishes are cooked in oil.Grilled dishes are cooked fast directly over high heat.Smoked dishes are cooked slowly with the help of smokewhich adds unique and delicious flavor to dishes.Barbeque (BBQ) is food cooked over hardwood smoke(hot coals of charcoal) with marinade and spices.A big choice of sauces is also served.

-SUSHI BAR 寿司

It is a place where Japanese sea-food is served. In Japanese cuisine, sushi is vinegary rice, usually topped with other ingredients, including fish, various meats, and vegetables. Literally, "sushi" means "its sour“. Outside of Japan, sushi is misunderstood to mean any fresh raw- seafood dishes but in Japan it is called sashimi.There are various types of sushi: sushi served rolled inside nori (dried and pressed layer sheets of seaweed or alga) called makizushi or rolls; sushi made with toppings laid with hand-formed clumps of rice called nigirizushi; toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu called inarizushi; toppings served scattered over a bowl of sushi rice called chirashi-zushi.Here customers have a chance to taste Sake. It is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice.

BARS CLASSIFICATIONBASED ON THE BEVERAGES OFFERED

-Wine bars sell everything from beer to hard liquor.Traditionally modern wine bars combine wine with selectionsof appetizers. The assortment of appetizers may be different as it is greatly based on the food traditions of the country. Some bars are similar to nightclubs with live loud music and special lighting. They operate a dress code and admissions policy and door staff at the entrance. Wine bars admit only adult customers.

-COCKTAIL BAR

It is a place where a great variety of cocktails are offeredto the customers. A cocktail is any mixed drink containing alcohol. Cocktails are made with gin, whiskey, rum, tequila,brandy, or vodka mixed with fruit juices, sugar, honey,water, ice, soda, milk, cream, herbs, bitters, etc.When an alcoholic drink of a large volume is mixed withsoft beverage and served with a straw, it is called ‘a longdrink‟ (also known as „highball’ ).Typically, it has lots of ice that makes itperfect for warm days. If customers drink a cocktail at a gulp,it is called „a shot drink‟.Cocktails are very popular with customers.

-BEER BARS

A beer bar is a place where all types of beer are on sale.Beer is the oldest alcoholic beverage; the third most popular drink over the world after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereals - most common of which is malted barley. Most beer is flavored with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative. Other flavorings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be also included.

Beer has less alcoholic content than wine. The strength of beer is usually around 4% to 6% of alcohol by volume. Dark sorts of beer contain more alcohol (up to 20% abv). Traditionally beer bars sell different sorts of beer, wine and a rich choice of meat, fish, cheese and vegetable snacks. Beer bars are prohibited to sell alcoholic beverages instead of beer.

-BRITISH PUB

The formal name for a pub in Britain is a public house. It is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on or off the premises. Lots of pubs have attached shops which sale beer for home consumption. Pubs are culturally and socially different from places such as cafés and bars. Each pub generally has locals or regulars. They are people who come regularly in the same pub to drink. Most British pubs still have decorated signs hanging over their doors. It helps to identify the public house. Beer served in a pub may be cask ale or keg beer of all sorts. Bottled and canned beer are also available. The owner of a public house is known landlord.

-FOOD SERVICE IN PUBS

Food that is typically offered in a pubis called “Pub grub". It is deliciousand not expensive.A British pub menu includes itemssuch as:steak and kidney pie, beef and beerpie, shepherds pie, fish and chips,hot pot.Some dishes that are quite specific topubs include:chicken or scampi in a basket, andmeals served in plate-sized Yorkshirepuddings.

MILK BAR

Milk bars appeared last century, in the early 1930s. Nowadays they are often housed in large shops and sell milk beverages such as milk shakes and ice cream cocktails. A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce. Milkshakes are usually served in a tall glass with a straw, and whipped cream may be added as a topping. Several popular milkshake flavors include vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Frappé (a type of milkshake) is a foam-covered iced coffee drink made from instant coffee. It is very popular and has now spread all over the world. The similar establishment is a "dairy bar" common in the United States, especially in New York, which is a large producer of dairy products.

BARS CLASSIFICATIONBASED ON ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVITIES OFFERED

-KARAOKE BAR

It is a bar that provides karaoke equipment to the customers. Karaoke is a form of entertainment in which amateur singers can sing publicly on a small stage along with recorded music using a microphone and a PA system.The music is typically a well-known pop song in which the voice of the original singer is removed (or reduced in volume). Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen. The words of the sing change color to guide the singer.Such establishments are often extremely popular, with an hour or more wait between a singers opportunities to take the stage (called the rotation). Most of these establishments allow customers to sing free of charge. Less commonly, the customers wishing to sing must pay a small fee for each song they sing.

-SPORTS BAR

It is a bar which is equipped with lots of television monitors and large-screens which let sports fans enjoy live broadcasts of sporting events, e.g. football and hockey matches, world’s lawn tennis competitions, basketball and volleyball tournaments, etc. Here sports fans have a chance to support the favourite sportsman or team together with their friends and share their impressions and feelings with them. Sports bars are often decorated with the symbols of the local team and photos of favourite sportsmen. Here customers can have different alcoholic drinks, mainly all sorts of beer, and snacks. Large sports bars can offer other facilities, e.g. billiard, bowling, darts, etc.