I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles.

In California, the liquor laws are pretty simple: Over 21 can buy alcohol between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. anytime the store is open for business. Bars close at 2:00 a.m.

In California, if you are a skilled and fast driver, you can hit last call at 1:30 a.m. then skid into the closest grocery store by 2:00 a.m. for a bottle of store brand booze to take home.

Here in Texas, the rules ain't so simple.

The state governs the overall booze trade, but the individual counties and cities decide what to allow and what is so sinful that you should have to go to the next county to get it.

Some cities allow no liquor sales at all. They are known as dry.
Our county allows beer and wine sales, and is considered "damp".
Our city recently voted to sell beer and wine and is now "damp" instead of dry.
Dallas and Denton counties allow beer and wine, as well as hard liquor sales, and are considered "wet".
NO county may sell hard liquor on a holiday.
Most liquor establishments in wet counties have a "beer and wine" store next to a separate "liquor" store so that they can sell beer and wine on Sunday and on holidays while the liquor store remains closed.
If Christmas falls on Sunday, you cannot buy hard alcohol on the following Monday.

Here in Texas, you need to plan your binge ahead of time.

I asked a liquor store clerk why one can't buy hard liquor on Thanksgiving.

His theory is that you don't want family members who don't like one another showing up at family gatherings, getting drunk, and murdering one another.

Makes sense to me!