Wet vs. Dry Counties
There are two types of counties in the United States when it comes to alcohol – wet and dry counties. Dry counties, as the name insinuates, are not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages. The government of the county prohibits it. On the other hand, wet counties permit the sale of alcoholic beverages. Dozens of dry counties exist across the United States, but most are centered in the South. Until very recently, was in one of them.
Lufkin – In a ‘Moist’ County
Lufkin, TX had maintained prohibition laws for decades. In fact, Lufkin, TX is part of a county that had been ‘dry’ since 1936 – one year after the prohibition across Texas was repealed. For such laws that have been ingrained for so long, it’s understandable why they can be difficult to repeal. But, the voters demanded it. They wanted the opportunity to go pick up a cold beer at the corner store after a long day of work or grab a bottle of wine on the way to dinner. In 2006, voters had the opportunity to speak up at the ballot box, and they did not disappoint. They passed legislation that allowed the sale of beer and wine at stores, and the sale of mixed drinks at restaurants.
But, residents still cannot purchase hard alcohol and liquor – such as whiskey, gin, vodka, etc. – anywhere in Lufkin, TX. This makes Angelina County, where Lufkin is located, a ‘moist’ county. The laws were relaxed to allow for the sale of beer and wine, but not of liquor – putting this county right in the middle of ‘wet’ and ‘dry’.
Can You Buy Alcohol in Lufkin?
To sum up what was mentioned above – no, you can’t. You can purchase a six-pack of beer or a couple of bottles of wine at some stores, but nowhere in this county can you legally buy liquor. So, if you’re looking to make mixed drinks at home for a party or special occasion, you won’t be able to. Alternatively, if you are staff at a restaurant that legally serves mixed drinks, there can’t be any last-minute runs to the store because you ran out of tequila; you won’t find any for miles.
Where to Get Alcohol?
Since you can’t buy alcohol in Lufkin, TX, the only other option is to travel to a nearby county that does sell alcohol. If you buy it elsewhere, you’re fine to legally consume it on your property. Thankfully, Lufkin, TX is right next to a ‘wet’ county that permits the sale of hard alcohol and liquor. In fact, Lufkin is less than 20 miles and less than a 30-minute drive away from the renowned liquor store in Nacogdoches, TX: Zipps Liquor.
Zipps Liquor in Nacogdoches has everything you could need. It has aisles of beer and wine. Although you can technically buy this in Lufkin, you’re bound to find a greater variety of options here. Zipps Liquor also has all the hard liquor you could need – tequila, rum, gin, vodka, etc. Stock up on your run, so you have plenty of liquor to last you back in Lufkin, TX.
