Canned cocktails could be coming to grocery stores in Texas

• Rep. Justin Holland, a Republican from Rockwall, introduced the bill's House version, HB 2200, a few weeks ago.

State of play: Current law allows retailers to sell beer, wine and alcoholic seltzer drinks every day of the week.

Yes, but: Liquor or pre-packaged cocktails can only be sold Monday through Saturday until 9pm — and only from licensed liquor stores.

How it would work: If passed, the new law would treat ready-to-drink canned cocktails with alcohol contents up to 17%, like beer and wine.

Of note: Bars and restaurants have entirely different laws and wouldn't be affected by the new bill.

Flashback: Gov. Greg Abbott showed a willingness to change some alcohol laws in 2021, when he signed a law allowing restaurants to sell alcohol-to-go.

What they're saying: "This would address the antiquated alcohol laws and nothing more," Paul Hardin, president of the Texas Food & Fuel Association, which has been lobbying for this new law, tells Axios.

• "If you like your Ranch Water and want to drink some while watching football on Sunday — well if you didn't buy that on Saturday, right now you're out of luck."

The other side: Hardin says the biggest pushback has come from liquor-store organizations that don't want to lose customers to grocery stores and beer wholesalers that don't want to lose space in grocery store coolers.