A new trend in drinking alcohol has been the center of controversy recently. A powdered form of alcohol intended to be mixed with drinks has gained approval from the federal regulator.
The maker of Palcohol, which is an alcohol in powder form, has received the go signal and approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration. It will be available for public consumption this summer.
The controversial powdered alcohol has been announced last spring and as soon as it hit the media, many people are already awaiting its release. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) have first approved the sale of the said product but later on withdrew their approval. Now, the makers of the product, Lipsmark, turned to FDA for approval.
On Wednesday, TTB spokesman Tom Hogue told The Associated Press as reported by ABC News that the issues were resolved and four variants of Palcohol have been approved. This week, Lipsmark issued their official statement saying that they had received an approval and it is now legal for them to sell the product in the United States.
The four variants are just-add-water versions of a cosmopolitan, margarita, vodka and rhum. However, several states have aired their dismay over the approval and deemed it necessary to ban it in their areas. Lawmakers in Colorado have passed an advanced legislation to temporarily ban its sales. The concerns arose due to their fear of alcohol abuse among minors especially that these alcoholic drinks come in just a pouch.
In Palcohol's website, the company states that they are hoping that the product will be set on sale this summer. Lipsmark founder and maker of Palcohol, Mark Phillips, said that they have not yet determined the pricing of their products.
He said that he came up with this idea because he wanted a way for people to enjoy alcoholic drinks without the bulk of bottles especially during activities like hiking, picnics and travel.
"Potential for abuse isn't grounds for us to deny a label," TTB spokesperson Tom Hogue added.
