Who is behind it
Barback is run by Chad DeAbreu and a small team in Whistler, British Columbia, for people who care about a properly made drink. It is an independent site, not part of a media company or a drinks brand.
How a bar gets on a list
We start from the places people in each city actually rate: local press, awards lists and bartenders' own recommendations, plus our own nights out where we have had them. A bar only goes in if we would send a friend there. Every bar is checked against its own website and a second recent source before it is published, and each city page says the month it was last checked.
How the pages are written
We use software, including AI tools, to help research and draft at this scale. Every fact about a bar is taken from the bar's own site or a source from this year, and nothing is published without passing our checks. If we got something wrong about your bar, tell us and we will fix it the same day.
The photos
A bar is shown with its own photo, taken from its own website and credited with a link, or with one we took there ourselves. If we do not have a real photo of a bar, we show none. Recipe images are illustrations.
How Barback earns
Some links pay us a commission, and some placements are paid for. Every one is labelled on the page: "Paid placement" on a bottle or a sponsor, "Featured partner" on a bar. The Must Visit badge is never for sale.
Drinking age
Barback is for adults of legal drinking age where they live. Drink well, not more, and never drink and drive.
Corrections, closures and photo removals: send us a note. Working with us: Partner with Barback.