A bar , also known as a saloon , a tavern or tippling house , or sometimes as a pub or club , is a retail business that serves alcoholic beverages , such as beer , wine , liquor , cocktails , and other beverages such as mineral water and soft drinks . Bars often also sell snack foods , such as crisps 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" refers to the countertop where drinks are prepared and served, and by extension to the overall premises.
40-492: Last Chance Saloon was a popular name of a type of bar in the United States that began to appear in the 19th century as an early expression of border economics . Saloons situated near areas where alcohol was not easily obtainable frequently took the name as a literal indication to customers that this was their final opportunity to imbibe before progressing to an area where obtaining, selling or drinking alcoholic drinks
80-475: A Conservative Party leadership election was famously headlined in The Independent as "John Major's Last Chance Saloon"—but there are many others. A subset of the general use for the term is its use among British automotive journalists. Because saloon has a uniquely British automotive meaning, applying the phrase "last chance saloon" to a story about cars is to use a pun . Thus, it is common to see
120-523: A definite article , as in " The Last Chance Saloon". The first is one in Caldwell, Kansas . Dating from 1869, it was the last place travellers could legally buy liquor before moving into Indian territory , where alcohol was banned. It gained prominence during an incident in 1874, when a posse from Caldwell burned down the building, after erroneously believing that the objects of their search were inside. Because of this fire, it does not exist today, but
160-493: A bar originally intended for one demographic profile can become popular with another. For example, a gay or lesbian bar with a dance or disco floor might, over time, attract an increasingly heterosexual clientele, or a blues bar may become a biker bar if most its patrons are bikers. Bars can also be an integral part of larger venues. For example, hotels, casinos and nightclubs are usually home to one or several bars. Other types of bar include: Some persons may designate either
200-473: A bar, though there are many bars that also serve food. In many jurisdictions, if those under legal drinking age are allowed to enter, as is the case with pubs that serve food, they are not allowed to drink; in the U.S., there are 8 states where children may drink in a pub if accompanied by their parents. In some jurisdictions, bars cannot serve a patron who is already intoxicated. Cities and towns usually have legal restrictions on where bars may be located and on
240-566: A boat could often be practically dry. Even if a captain chose to allow alcohol, it would have been relatively scarce and usually tightly regulated—if the boat's hold had space for it at all. Thus, Heinold's saloon served precisely the same practical function as the Caldwell example. It was made arguably more famous because noted American author Jack London was an irregular patron. When in Oakland, London drank there often, gleaning insight from
280-622: A complex situation in a relatively scant number of letters. Home Office minister David Mellor in a December 1989 television interview asserted: "I do believe the press – the popular press – is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon". The ethics of the British press were then being scrutinized by the Calcutt Committee and the phrase caught on. In another example, John Major 's 1995 attempt to stave off critics by calling for
320-518: A mechanism in place to determine a winner at the local level. Because a Last Chance Saloon Round does not connote anything substandard about a participants' skills, but merely the way in which their school participates in regional tournaments, this usage is slightly different from how it is used in Britain to describe professional sport. Sports commentators and fans will often use the phrase in conjunction with professional or Olympic athletics to speak of
360-471: A room or an area of a room as a home bar . Furniture and arrangements vary from efficient to full bars that could be suited as businesses. Bars categorized by the kind of entertainment they offer: The counter at which drinks are served by a bartender is called "the bar". This term is applied, as a synecdoche , to drinking establishments called "bars". This counter typically stores a variety of beers , wines , liquors , and non-alcoholic ingredients, and
400-558: A slow hand clap and shouted "Out! Out! Out!") during Mellor's concession speech. Mellor retorted: ... and Sir James ... has got nothing to be smug about, and I would like to say that 1,500 votes is a derisory total. We have shown tonight that the Referendum Party is dead in the water, and Sir James can get off back to Mexico knowing your attempt to buy the British political system has failed! Goldsmith would die from pancreatic cancer two months later on 18 July 1997. Mellor
440-423: A waning team or player's last opportunity to make good on their talents. Bar (establishment)#United States The term derives from the metal or wooden bar (barrier) that is often located along the length of the "bar". Over many years, heights of bars were lowered, and high stools added, and the brass bar remains today. There have been many different names for public drinking spaces throughout history. In
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#1732781135644480-452: Is normally called "the bar". The sale and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages was prohibited in the first half of the 20th century in several countries. In the United States, illegal bars during Prohibition were called " speakeasies ", "blind pigs", and "blind tigers". Laws in many U.S. states prohibit minors from entering a bar, such as California. In the UK, minors are permitted to be in
520-437: Is organized to facilitate the bartender's work. Counters for serving other types of food and drink may also be called bars. Examples of this usage of the word include snack bars , sushi bars, juice bars , salad bars , dairy bars , and ice cream sundae bars. Bars are a popular setting for fictional works, and in many cases, authors and other creators have developed imaginary bar locations that have become notable, such as
560-528: The Daily Mirror that Mellor called a chef a "fat bastard" during a licensing wrangle at the River Lounge restaurant near his home at St Katharine Docks , East London . The articles claimed Mellor used bad language and told the chef he should "do his £10-an-hour job somewhere else". In November 2014 The Daily Telegraph and The Independent reported that Mellor had been secretly recorded by
600-488: The Evening Standard , The Guardian and The People , often on current affairs, but also his specialist interests of sport and the arts. He regularly presented football-related programmes on BBC Radio 5 until 2001, and classical music programmes on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 for six years. Since 2000, Mellor has also been a radio presenter at Classic FM . He is an opera and classical music critic for
640-678: The 1997 general election , but was defeated by the Labour Party 's Tony Colman as one of the most notable Tory casualties as Labour won by a landslide to end nearly 20 years of Conservative government. The election night was memorable for Mellor's showdown with the Referendum Party founder Sir James Goldsmith : Mellor was taunted by Goldsmith and Michael Yardley, the Spokesperson for the Sportsman's Alliance (who gave him
680-774: The High Court in September 1992, led to the revelation that Mellor had accepted the gift of a month-long holiday in Marbella from Bauwens for his family, which took place in August 1990. Mellor's connection to Bauwens, the daughter of Jaweed al-Ghussein , the finance director of the PLO (formally the Palestine National Fund), maintained the pressure on him. Mellor resigned on 24 September 1992. Mellor contested
720-784: The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (which established the Crown Prosecution Service ). He was also involved with legislation enabling the re-investigation of miscarriages of justice, and with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 . In 1987, Mellor was moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by Thatcher, and was made responsible for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union (before
760-687: The general election in October 1974 , Mellor became the MP for Putney in the general election of 1979, and held the seat until 1997. Mellor was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy in 1981. In 1983, Mellor was appointed as a minister in the Home Office where he was involved in several pieces of legislation, including the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and
800-590: The revolutions of 1989 ). At this point he made an extended appearance on the Channel 4 discussion programme After Dark speaking about the Mafia . Mellor was briefly Minister of State for Health in 1988–1989, during the Third Thatcher ministry . In this position, he was convinced by Graham Fraser to launch a national cochlear implants programme for people suffering from severe hearing loss . He
840-862: The bar for Cheers , Cocktails and Dreams bar in the film Cocktail (1988), the Copacabana bar in the crime film Goodfellas , the rough and tumble Double Deuce in Road House (1989), The Kit Kat Klub in Cabaret , the Korova Milk Bar in the dystopian novel and film adaptation of A Clockwork Orange , the Mos Eisley cantina-bar in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), and the Steinway Beer Garden from
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#1732781135644880-507: The building's site is currently marked by the State of Kansas as a place of historical interest. The second is the " Heinold's First and Last Chance " in Oakland, California . It was opened in 1883. Located on the docks of Oakland, it would have been the last chance for drinkers to imbibe before falling under the jurisdiction of their boat's captain. While it was not a legally dry area ,
920-477: The colonial era of the United States, taverns were an important meeting place, as most other institutions were weak. During the 19th century 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 United Kingdom, a "pub", the area of the establishment where the bartender pours or mixes beverages
960-616: The crime-themed video game Grand Theft Auto IV . David Mellor David John Mellor KC (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, barrister, and former politician. As a member of the Conservative Party , he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1990–1992) and Secretary of State for National Heritage (April–September 1992), before resigning in 1992. He
1000-496: The interview that "the press – the popular press – is drinking in the last chance saloon" and called for curbs on the "sacred cow" of press freedom to curb their more extreme activities. Following the 1992 general election Mellor remained a Cabinet Minister as Secretary of State for National Heritage in the newly created Department of National Heritage (now the Department for Culture, Media and Sport), during which period he
1040-483: The newspaper The Mail on Sunday . He is a regular contributor to the radio station LBC , on which he previously co-hosted a Saturday morning politics and current affairs discussion programme for eight years with former London Mayor Ken Livingstone . This continued until 2016, when Livingstone was sacked and Mellor's contract was not renewed. In June 2010, it was reported in The Daily Telegraph and
1080-539: The phrase applied to the automotive industry. For example, the launch of the Rover 75 was humorously described by the then BMW owners as "Rover's Last Chance Saloon", and Cerberus ' 2007 acquisition of Chrysler has been called that car manufacturer's "last chance saloon". The phrase has a specialized use in British sport. In youth sport, it specifically defines a qualifying round of competition—the "Last Chance Saloon Round" — comprising students from schools who don't have
1120-520: The possession or sale of alcohol for religious reasons, while others, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates , allow bars in some specific areas, but only permit non-Muslims to drink in them. A bar's owners and managers choose the bar's name, décor , drink menu, lighting, and other elements which they think will attract a certain kind of patron. However, they have only limited influence over who patronizes their establishment. Thus,
1160-499: The proprietors wanted to market their business for travellers, irrespective of their customers' direction of travel. The name persists in the naming of modern bars, though it is not always associated with the original meaning. Bars nowhere close to a dry county are sometimes named "Last Chance Saloon" as an homage to the earlier establishments. There are (First and) Last Chance Saloons in the phone books of almost every American state. In everyday speech, by speakers of British English,
1200-723: The tales of world-traveling sailors. Not only is the saloon commemorated by name in London's works, it is recognized by the California State historical marker program, the National Literary Landmark scheme, and the National Register of Historic Places . Nevertheless, it continues as a working business, maintained privately for the benefit of locals and tourists . Technically, both of these businesses were also signed as "First Chance" saloons, as
1240-410: The term has been adopted to describe a situation beyond which hope or good fortune will greatly diminish. "This is the last chance saloon. If we again fail to improve the performance of our schools I believe it is time to look at the reintroduction of selection at the age of 13, to reintroduce grammar schools which were the great escape route for the working class in post-war Britain." "At least, that's
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1280-585: The time was legal in England. The Sun , relying on material supplied by the publicist Max Clifford , made a number of untrue claims about the relationship, that de Sancha later admitted. This was subsequently confirmed by David Mellor in 2011 at the Leveson Inquiry into Press Behaviour. The Prime Minister John Major supported Mellor, but the media maintained their interest. A libel case brought by Mona Bauwens against The People , which came to
1320-450: The types of alcohol they may serve to their customers. Some bars may have a license to serve beer and wine, but not hard liquor. In some jurisdictions, patrons buying alcohol must also order food. In some jurisdictions, bar owners have a legal liability for the conduct of patrons who they serve (this liability may arise in cases of driving under the influence which cause injuries or deaths). Many Islamic countries prohibit bars as well as
1360-464: The way it had been until Monty arrived, although I have to admit we all thought: Here we go again. We've heard it all before. But he and everybody else knew very well that this had to be the last stand. We were definitely in the Last Chance Saloon." Because of its infrequent use in relation to alcohol or bars, "last chance saloon" is usually employed as a paralogical metaphor . The expression often lends itself to newspaper headlines, as it describes
1400-456: Was prohibited . The phrase "last chance saloon" also has common British metaphorical use, based upon this historical context. While the term refers to actual places that existed, it does not refer to a singular place. Many saloons on the border of dry areas incorporated the phrase "last chance" into their name. Of the many saloons so named, two have found particular notoriety, to the extent that they may be sometimes be referred to today with
1440-555: Was chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association and a contestant on University Challenge . After briefly working for Jeffrey Archer (at the time a Member of Parliament ) while studying for his bar exams, Mellor was called to the bar in 1972. He ceased to practise in 1979 upon being elected as an MP, and he remains "non-practising". He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1987. After contesting West Bromwich East in
1480-461: Was chairman of the incoming Labour government's 'Football Task Force' from August 1997 until its dissolution in 1999. Among the recommendations accepted by the Labour government and introduced into law was the criminalisation of racial abuse by an individual spectator, as distinct from a group. Mellor has also pursued a career in journalism, and has written columns for six national newspapers including
1520-701: Was made a Privy Counsellor in 1990 by Thatcher, shortly before she resigned as Prime Minister. Mellor was briefly Minister for the Arts in 1990 before entering John Major 's new Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in November of that year. He was interviewed in December 1991 on the TV programme Hard News following the establishment of the Calcutt Review inquiring into Press Standards. Mellor said during
1560-407: Was occasionally referred to as the "Minister for Fun" after comments he made to the waiting press on leaving 10 Downing Street on his appointment. In July 1992 Mellor's former mistress, actress Antonia de Sancha , sold her "kiss and tell" story of Mellor's extra-marital affair with her for £35,000. Their telephone conversations had been secretly recorded by de Sancha's landlord, an activity which at
1600-506: Was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Putney from 1979 to 1997. Since leaving Parliament, Mellor has worked as a newspaper columnist, a radio presenter, and an after-dinner speaker . He also served as Chairman of the government's ' Football Task Force'. Born in Wareham , Dorset , Mellor was educated at Swanage Grammar School , and Christ's College , Cambridge , during which time he
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