Summary
- Starfleet recognizes the importance of providing a bar on starships, offering a comforting location for socializing and relaxation between missions.
- Ten Forward on the USS Enterprise-D and the bar on the USS Cerritos both saw their fair share of trouble, including bar brawls and rioting.
- The USS Discovery and the USS Enterprise-G also have well-stocked bars, providing a space for crew members to unwind and find comfort in challenging times.
It can be an incredibly stressful life serving with Starfleet, so it's a good job that there's a selection of legendary Star Trek bars where officers can unwind after a tough day protecting the galaxy. From Romulan ale to Chateau Picard, alcohol – and its more responsible synthetic replacement – has been a key part of the culture of Star Trek. New starships were christened with a bottle of champagne, while absent friends were honored with a toast in Ten Forward or in the Ready Room of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). The most important bar in Star Trek history is arguably the one run by Quark (Armin Shimerman) on Deep Space Nine, which paid host to various new species from the Gamma Quadrant, strengthening both diplomatic and commercial relations with the region.
Quark's Bar was independently run, but Starfleet certainly knew the value of providing a bar on their starships. From Star Trek: The Next Generation to Star Trek: Lower Decks, the starship bar has been a comforting location in which to socialize with fellow crew members or relax between missions. Generally, these bars appeared to stock synthehol to avoid the ill effects of heavy drinking, but both Star Trek: TNG's Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) and Lower Decks' Lt. JG Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) kept a stash of the hard stuff for special occasions. Whether it was alcohol or synthehol behind the counter, the starship bar is an integral part of Star Trek starship.
