The Lawrence Cocktail Trail began as a simple idea: get people excited about the drinks being poured across Douglas County while putting money back into the hands of the people who pour them. When the Lawrence Restaurant Association debuted the trail in 2022, dozens of bars and restaurants signed on, each agreeing to donate a dollar from every featured cocktail to the Hospitality Workers Relief Fund. Four years later, the trail has grown into a ten-day celebration spanning two full weekends, and this September it returns for its fifth edition.
The 2026 Cocktail Trail runs September 10 through September 20, with participating establishments across Lawrence featuring signature drinks, and $1 from every cocktail sold going to the relief fund. The trail kicks off with a cocktail competition and block party on Thursday, September 10, in the outdoor space in front of Culinaria. For a $20 donation, attendees receive a spirit tasting with Veritas, cocktail samples from more than ten bars, and tickets to vote for their favorite drink. Food comes from Taco Zone, Mass Street Fish House, Culinaria, and Rudy's Pizza, with DJ ChanceRomance providing the soundtrack. All proceeds benefit the Hospitality Workers Relief Fund.
The trail is the creation of the Lawrence Restaurant Association, an assembly of restaurant owners, executive chefs, and hospitality professionals dedicated to the prosperity of Lawrence and Douglas County. The group began as an informal gathering of like-minded people in 2017 and evolved into a structured organization by 2020. Its most enduring achievement grew out of crisis.
When COVID-19 scrambled the economy in March 2020, the hospitality industry was flipped upside down. Restaurants shut down almost overnight, and the people who made a living feeding others suddenly needed help feeding their own families. Within a month, the LRA stepped up, brainstorming ways to support its workers. What they created was the Hospitality Workers Relief Fund, launched in April 2020. It began handing out $250 grants directly to workers, which soon grew to $500. By the middle of 2021, the fund had raised more than $100,000 in donations and received another $100,000 from Douglas County. Over its first two years, it distributed $240,000 to more than 700 hospitality workers. Today the fund has provided more than $260,000 in aid to more than 720 workers.
Codi Bates, owner of the Burger Stand and Bon Bon! and vice chair of the LRA board, was a key part of mobilizing the fund. "Knowing there is support out there for our staff is helpful," she said. "The fund is one more tool to manage the unknown."
The fund was designed with a low barrier to entry. In the early days, workers only needed to fill out an application and show a pay stub to prove they worked in the industry.
As the industry recovered, the fund changed how it operated. In late 2021, it began distributing money not as direct grants but through partner organizations, including the Ballard Center, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Centro Hispano, and Heartland Community Health Center, so workers could be guided to other resources as well. Today the partners also include Positive Bright Start.
The trail has grown steadily since its debut. The 2026 edition features a roster of nearly 20 participating venues, including Culinaria, J. Wilson's, Sable Kitchen + Bar, Merchants Pub & Plate, Fields & Ivy Brewery, Northside Social, Wine Dive + Kitchen, The Roost, Mass Street Fish House & Raw Bar, The Burger Stand at the Casbah, 715, John Brown's Underground, LiMESTONE PKB, Sunflower Café & Pub, Meadowlark Wine Bar, Gaslight Gardens, Ramen Bowls, and Lawrence Beer Company.
As the trail returns for its fifth year, its mission remains the same as it was at the start: support those who serve you. Every cocktail poured, every ticket cast at the kickoff competition, and every photo shared with the hashtag #LRACocktailTrail helps keep the fund stocked for the next time a bartender, server, or barista needs a hand. In a town where the people behind the bar are the heart of the community, the Cocktail Trail is a chance to raise a glass to them.