A lot has changed since I moved to East Texas more than 25 years ago. After putting down some roots in Tyler and meeting new people and going out, I would often meet up with friends at Chili's, On The Border, or TGI Friday's for drinks or head on over to Rick's, Sharkey's or Clicks, but in order to do that you had to be a 'member of the club' (restaurant) or carry a Texas issued Unicard to get a drink.

Times have changed. In 2012, Smith County voters approved a measure to make the sale of beer and wine legal ending the reign of Smith County being one of the last few dry counties in the state.

Now you could go into a restaurant and bar an order a beer or cocktail without being a 'member' or showing the Unicard!

No more club memberships or Unicards

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

When it comes to purchasing alcohol and liquor, Texas has some rather unusual laws. 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 some counties can sell alcohol at restaurants and bars until 2 a.m. when 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.

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