Like a margarita? Just pour the water on to the powder and stir

Powdered alcohol is now legal in the United States. The government Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau has finally given the go-ahead for four flavors of Palcohol - vodka, rum, Cosmopolitan, and Kamikaze, a.k.a. margarita.

Production on a commercial scale is yet to begin and already some state governments - Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, and Vermont - already banned its sale. Nearly half a dozen others are trying, reports Grub Street, including New York, where the Senate has already passed a bill.

Palcohol describes the bans as the result of the liquor industry being against it because they want to squash competition and protect their market share. "The liquor companies have lots of money to lobby for what they want and we are no match for their deep pockets. But should big money be allowed to make the laws?" says the company website.


The company intends that Palcohol will be made in two different formulations, a Beverage Formulation (ingestible) and an Industrial Formulation (non-ingestible).

Beverage Formulation: In its beverage formulation, Palcohol is for the legitimate and responsible enjoyment by lawful consumers and has several applications:

• Outdoor Activity Applications: Palcohol is a boon to outdoors enthusiasts such as campers, hikers and others who wanted to enjoy adult beverages responsibly without having the undue burden of carrying heavy bottles of liquid/

• Travel Applications: Similarly, adult travelers journeying to destinations far from home could conveniently and lawfully carry their favorite cocktail in powder format. Moderate quantities of flavored Palcohol products carried in resealable pouches are a fraction of the weight and bulk associated with traditional liquor packaging.

• Hospitality Applications: Because powdered alcohol is so light, airlines can reduce the weight on an airplane by serving powdered vs. liquid alcohol and save millions on fuel costs. An ice cream manufacturer wants to add Palcohol to their ice cream to make an "adult" version. A hotel in Hawaii is interested in powdered alcohol because it would save them so much on shipping from the mainland. That savings in shipping costs would be attractive to many resorts who rely on imported alcohol.

Industrial Formulation (non-ingestible): The industrial formulation, different from the consumer formulation, has many possible positive uses in industry. People have contacted us with several in mind. Of course, until Palcohol gets government approval, we can not know exactly what the applications will be. Examples include:

• Medical Applications: We've had medical personnel contact us about using Palcohol as an antiseptic, especially in remote locations where weight and bulk make it difficult to transport supplies. 

• Manufacturing Applications: Several companies have contacted us about using powdered alcohol in their business. A livestock supplement company wants to use it. A Swedish and a Canadian inquired about using it in their windshield wiper fluid. Because Palcohol is such a new and revolutionary product, there will probably many more uses discovered.

• Energy Applications: There has been a great interest in using powdered alcohol as a fuel source, from a lightweight alternative to powering a camping stove to an emergency fuel pouch for a vehicle. There is talk of multiple military applications from transport fuel to fuel in a soldier’s backpack.