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Powdered alcohol not happening anytime soon

Powdered alcohol will not become a reality anytime soon.


Labels for the bizarre product -- a powdered version of vodka, rum and other beverages -- received regulatory approval by mistake, a spokesman for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau told The Associated Press. And the company behind the "Palcohol" product said Monday that it has agreed to surrender the approvals.

This doesn't mean powdered alcohol is gone for good. But Palcohol likely has a long road ahead of it after news of the label approval leaked. Beverage attorney John Messinger first discovered the approval and published the discovery on the Bevlog website, and the news was then picked up by numerous media outlets.

The Internet reacted with a mix of enthusiasm and horror. "Dumbest idea," wrote one Twitter user. "All you'll hear about is idiots snorting it, putting it in their eyes and other weird places." But other users were excited that the powder could be sprinkled on food. "Soooo, now you can get drunk off a sandwich ... win win," wrote another user.

According to the Arizona company behind Palcohol, one package of the powder can make a standard mixed drink when five ounces of liquid are added. Palcohol comes in six flavors, including vodka, rum, cosmopolitan, mojito, lemon drop and a version of a margarita.

The company said it expected Palcohol to be for sale this fall. After this week's approval fiasco, that time frame sounds exceedingly optimistic.
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