open bar

American  

noun

1. a bar at a reception that serves drinks whose cost has been borne by the host, an admission charge, a sponsor, etc..

   Before the banquet there will be an open bar from 5 to 7 p.m.

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Etymology

Origin of open bar

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

That included ferry transportation, open bar, food, towels and lounge chairs by the pool and beach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

In an era of increasingly coy, event-specific signature cocktails — and the quiet pressure of an open bar — there’s something deeply charming about a punch bowl.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

Some bolted for the door; others made a beeline for the open bar.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2025

LIVE, a group tour of Los Angeles and a pregame tailgate, complete with open bar, at Brookside Golf Club.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2024

All the mature eggs of such a female contain one white-producing X chromosome represented by the open bar in the diagram.

From A Critique of the Theory of Evolution by Morgan, Thomas Hunt