Powdered alcohol coming this Fall

What could possibly go wrong?

From Newsy:

The U.S. Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has just approved — wait for it — powdered alcohol.

A Bevlaw blogger first spotted the application, which approves seven different varieties of powdered alcohol. The blogger writes, "I am not astonished that this is a real product — but I am absolutely astonished that this is approved. ... The person that pushed this through must be very patient or lucky." (Via Lehrman Beverage Law)

The alcohol powder that will be coming to the States includes vodka and rum powders, along with powdered cocktails like Lemon Drop, Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Margarita. They're all going to be marketed under the brand ... *deep sigh* ... "Palcohol."

In what appears to be one of its rare moments of maturity, the Internet has greeted Palcohol with skepticism. Gawker calls Palcohol "a product that, in the wrong hands, could make the darkest days of the Four Loko era look tame."

And The Braiser rants, "An alcoholic product that could easily be confused for a Crystal Lite package CLEARLY WON’T CAUSE ANY TROUBLE, RIGHT GUYS? *facepalm*"

Meanwhile, under the lede "Well, this sure is a terrible idea," Refinery29 notes most Palcohol products are advertised as containing about 55 percent to 65 percent alcohol by volume. "We can practically hear the chorus of stomach pumps now."

This cached version of the Palcohol website — pre-federal approval, of course — features a list of "possibilities" for the product. The list includes dodging expensive booze prices at clubs and concert, smuggling alcohol into the big game, and mixing powdered vodka into your next omelet.

And then there's this paragraph, reprinted in full. "Let's talk about the elephant in the room ... snorting Palcohol. Yes, you can snort it. And you'll get drunk almost instantly because the alcohol will be absorbed so quickly in your nose. Good idea? No. It will mess you up. Use Palcohol responsibly." Thanks for the tip, Palcohol.

Palcohol is expected to hit the shelves this fall. As with all alcohol products, use Palcohol responsibly and safely. And please don't snort and drive.

(h/t JoeMyGod)