Im building a bar, how should I finish it to protect it from liquids and make it shiny!?

Use Spar Varnish or Urethane. For a finish that requires less maintenance l would use Urethane. The disadvantage of Urethane it takes about twelve hours to dry so it can be re-coated. Use a foam brush or something that will not deposit bristles or lint into your wet finish. You must lightly sand the finish to remove any "fuzzys" and to lightly roughen the surface so the next coat would adhere. Apply three coats minimum, if it were my bar I would apply at least six coats. Take your time and remember blemishes can be sanded out and another coat re-applied.

If you want the very thick finish sometimes found in restaurant tables and bars, try pour-on varnish. It's actually a clear epoxy but looks like a very thick layer of varnish.

If you don't want the "thick" look, several coats of regular polyurethane varnish should be fine. Some people prefer spar varnish especially for outdoor use.

just use minwax polyurethane. Three coats, sand with 220 grit paper in between. follow the directions on the can.

cover it in 24 car. gold lol!!!