UPDATE: The Government Made a Mistake Approving Those Powdered Alcohol Labels

Uh Oh.  There has been a mistake! Palcohol may not be coming to a liquor store near you by next fall. 

We told you about the Powdered Alcohol which you just pour in your water bottle and shake, maybe even sprinkle on your food.  You get instant vodka or rum and various mixed drinks.  Everybody was talking about it yesterday after we found out that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved labels.

But USA Today reports a representative for the federal bureau, Tom Hogue, said in an email to The Associated Press late Monday that the approvals were issued in error.

USA Today reports, Hogue did not immediately respond to requests for further details, including how the error occurred. In an email message, Palcohol's parent company Lipsmark said "there seemed to be a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag." It said it will resubmit the labels for approval.

According to the website for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, multiple varieties of Palcohol received "label approval" on April 8. Palcohol said in an email at around 5 p.m. EDT that it agreed to surrender the approvals "a few hours ago."

Robert Lehrman, who runs a beverage law website that initially reported on the product, noted that Palcohol had to have gone through an extensive process before reaching the label approval stage.

"An oversight of this nature does not ring true to me," Lehrman said in a phone interview. He suggested that the bureau may have heard back from lawmakers wanting more information on the powdered alcohols.

On it's website, Palcohol says it plans to offer six varieties of powdered alcohol, including vodka, rum and four cocktails — Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita and Lemon Drop. The site says that a package weighs about an ounce and can fit into any pocket. It warns people that the powder should not be snorted.

Here is the original story from April 21, 2014

U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade bureau has approved labeling for a new product, powdered alcohol.

Yep, just like those little flavored drink packets you put in your water bottle, Palcohol should be on the market in the fall.

You will be able to buy powdered forms of vodka, rum, cosmopolitans, kamikazes, mojitos, margaritas, and lemon drops, You just add water, stir, and you have a drink.

Now before the government approval which apparently surprised the people at Palcohol, their website had a lot of suggestions, including sprinkling the powder on food.

"Some of our favorite [foods] are the kamikaze in guacamole, rum on a barbecue sandwich, cosmo on a salad, and vodka on eggs in the morning to start your day off right."

They also pointed out, that you could snort the stuff and get drunk almost instantly because the alcohol will be absorbed so quickly in your nose. That suggestion is no longer on the website.  In fact now they tell you not to do it.

I am not sure how this works but if approving a label means you get to make the product, then Palcohol should be in liquor stores this fall.