US approval of powdered alcohol in doubt

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 22 April, 2014

Approvals for sale of powdered alcohol in the US were issued in error, a federal representative has stated.

Over the last few days, the internet has been awash with stories of how powdered alcohol Palcohol had been approved by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. However, in an email to the Associated Press, Tom Hogue of the Bureau has admitted there had been a mistake.

The Palcohol website now includes an update from April 21, saying: "We have been in touch with the TTB and there seemed to be a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag. There was a mutual agreement for us to surrender the labels.

"This doesn't mean that Palcohol isn't approved. It just means that these labels aren't approved. We will re-submit labels. We don't have an expected approval date as label approval can vary widely."

According to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau site, multiple varieties of Palcohol received "label approval" on April 8.

Palcohol founder Mark Phillips, a self-proclaimed "active guy" invented the product to fit in with his lifestyle, so that he would not have to travel with heavy bottles of alcohol for when he fancied a drink. The company motto is "take your Pal wherever you go".

The company plans on releasing six variations of the product: two pure spirit options of vodka and rum, designed for mixing, and four cocktail versions including Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita (Margarita) and Lemon Drop.

The company also warns against snorting the powder, after a page experimenting with "humorous and edgy" uses of the powder, was visible on the site. It has now been removed.

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