Texas Alcohol Laws: The Weirdest Rules You Need To Know

The sale of alcohol in Texas is enough to leave many people, myself included, a bit confused because the laws can be very strange.

Drive along Hwy. 259/Eastman Road or Spur 63 just north of US Hwy. 80, and you'll see Daiquiri Express. A legit business in Longview that has been around for more than 20 years selling mixed drinks to go.

Yes, you can:

• drive up
• order a daiquari, beer, or certain shot
• pay
• drive off with your mixed drink

Now, I have absolutely nothing against this business, but it's a bit strange that Texas law would allow alcoholic drinks to be sold in this manner. It's just one of the strange laws surrounding liquor sales in Texas.

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Thanks to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, the sale of carryout or to-go alcoholic beverages became legal with the signing of House Bill 1024. However, any liquor law in Texas comes with stipulations.

The alcoholic beverage must be accompanied by a food order, sealed in a tamper-proof container and the business name must be on the sealed container.

Like I previously said, Texas liquor laws can be a bit strange.

I have another prime example. The majority of people, including myself, who moved to Tyler, Texas, or into Smith County, Texas, more than a decade ago, were unaware that you could not go into a restaurant during happy hour or anytime and order a beer or a cocktail without being a 'member'.

Up until 2012, Smith County was a dry county until voters approved a measure to make the sale of beer and wine a legal transaction.

A lot has changed since I moved to East Texas in 1997. When I was new to town and much younger we would hit up Chili's, TGI Fridays, On The Border or Sharkey's, Rick's, or Clicks on the weekend to have a beer or mixed drink, but in order to drink you had to be a member of 'the club' or carry a Unicard! Man, times have changed for the better.

No more club memberships or Unicards

Being a member was just a way to get around county and state laws for residents to purchase an adult beverage legally.

Texas has some rather unusual laws when it comes to purchasing alcohol and liquor. Some of the laws have become relaxed over the years, but there are some laws that no one can get around and they're still on the books.

While Texas alcohol laws are among some of the strictest in the country, they can also be a bit confusing. Why is it that some counties can sell alcohol at restaurants and bars until 2 a.m. while other counties must stop selling at 1 a.m.?  I'll never know or understand!

If that's not mind-blowing enough, check out these 12 weird laws that are enforceable when it comes to selling alcohol in Texas.