Lugging around a six pack can be somewhat inconvenient. A 12 pack is even worse, and a case is a genuine pain. A keg? Unless you happen to be a body builder or Gregor Clegane- AKA the Mountain that Rides, you’re out of luck. But powdered alcohol in a bag is coming soon, promising to shrink the size of a of a alcoholic drink to a few spoons full of powder. Just add water.
Arizona-based Lipsmart has been in the process of bringing its powdered alcohol brand, “Palcohol” to the market, and the company has just received approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for labels for its powdered drink. This essentially markets the last hurdle for Palcohol.
Despite the eyebrow raising nature of Palcohol, the product has been rather non-controversial in the eyes of the Food and Drug Administration, which earlier announced that it would not move to ban Palcohol. From the beginning the FDA found nothing particularly controversial with Palcohol’s ingredients and little reason to block the product from hitting the market.
Palcohol – Political Backlash Already Building
Some politicians aren’t going along with allowing Palcohol reaching the market quietly. Senator Charles Schumer (D- New York) introduced legislation that would ban the sale of Palcohol, though so far his efforts have fizzled. State governments, however, can regulate the powdered drink within their borders, and Colorado has already advanced a temporary ban on sale of the powdered drink.
Critics of the drink charge that the drink will be easier to access for minors. The arguments are rather vague, but the fact that the powdered drink will be easier to conceal appears to be the main point of contention. Critics are also worried that the drink will be easier to sneak into concerts and other public events.
Lipsmart, for its part, has urged the government not to “act like a nanny” and to let markets and consumers decide.
Palcohol – Designed For Drinking On The Go
Palcohol is essentially a dried form of liquor and comes in either a rum or vodka pouch. The mixture can then be added to traditional mixers to make traditional drunks, such as a rum and Coke, or a vodka and orange juice. Palcohol will also come in flavored pouches, such as Cosmopolitan, Lemon Drop, or Powderita.
The drinks were designed for people who don’t want to haul alcohol around, for example someone going on a hike, or enjoying an intense canoe trip. Lugging around a case of beer, or a bottle of liquor and mixers can be inconvenient. A few bags of powdered drink mix will be much easier to carry around.
