Palcohol Approved But Powered Alcohol Was A Mistake, For Now: Twitter Users Talk Snorting And Drink Recipes
A product called “Palcohol” was approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and gained widespread attention on the Internet, with some Twitter users declaring the intention to snort it, but the Associated Press reports that powered alcohol won’t be hitting the shelves anytime soon. The approvals were issued in error; so much for spiking your cola with little particles of booze.
Tom Hogue, a representative for the federal agency, didn’t exactly explain the error in an email response to the AP, nor did he provide further details. He did say, however, that Palcohol's parent company Lipsmark said "there seemed to be a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag." The labels will be resubmitted for approval.
Palcohol’s founder Mark Phillips is apparently traveling and unavailable to comment. The distribution and pricing of powdered alcohol is unknown and the company’s website doesn’t reveal how the product is made.
Though label approval might seem like a minor task, Robert Lehrman, who runs a beverage law website and reported on Palcohol initially, told the AP in a phone interview the process is extensive. "An oversight of this nature does not ring true to me.” He assumed the bureau heard back from lawmakers who wanted to know more about powdered alcohols.
Though the idea might sound revolutionary to some, the concept isn’t new. John Coupland, a professor of food science at Penn State University, said patents similar to Palcohol’s idea have been filed over the years, including one filed by General Foods Corp. in the 1970s. The product is apparently made by absorbing the ethanol onto a type of carbohydrate powder.
According to Palcohol’s site, it was created since powder is “light and compact and wouldn’t be a burden to carry” when going on activities like hiking, biking, camping and a refreshing adult beverage is craved. “Those activities,” the site says, “don't lend themselves to lugging heavy bottles of wine, beer or spirits.”
Palcohol offers six varieties: vodka, rum and four cocktails — cosmopolitan, kamikaze, powderita (which is like a margarita) and lemon drop. The packages apparently weigh about an ounce and can fit into any pocket. The maunfacturer also warns that it shouldn’t be snorted, but naturally, that was one of the most talked about topics on Twitter Tuesday after the news broke that “powdered alcohol” was even a thing.
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