Good Idea? IDK

When I first saw this I thought it was bullshit. You know, one of those internet hoaxes to mess with your head. It seems it is a real product.

Palcohol, powdered alcohol. I didn't think it was possible but them again we have koolaid and tang and all kinds of powdered drinks. It makes sense the technology makes it possible. Then the question becomes legal. Alcohol is highly regulated and taxed. It would have to be approved by some government agency. You would assume somewhere in the Treasury Department in the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. It just seems so unlikely that this could or  would ever gain approval. It was approved by the federal government on April 8, 2104. The company that developed it raises some issues in how they predicted it will be used. "What's worse than going to a concert, sporting event, etc., and having to pay $10, $14, or $20 for a mixed drink with tax and tip. Are you kidding me? Take Palcohol into the venue and enjoy a mixed drink for a fraction of the cost.," It would seem relatively easy to do since there would be no bulky bottle or flask to be discovered by security. The liquid would be provided by the venue and bingo, instant drink/ There had been some online speculation about the possibility of snorting the product and the instant drunk from direct bloodstream intake through the nose. The company states that fillers have been added which would require you to inhale about one half cup of powder to get the equivalent of one mixed drink. Personally I have doubts that is true and I'm sure attempts will be made to test their claim. Palcohol when mixed as directed with 5 ounces of liquid is equal to one standard mixed drink. I'm sure folks will also be reducing the liquid to see how things go. There will be six flavors. V which is a powder made from vodka. R which is made from rum. Then the four cocktail versions: Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita which tastes like a Margarita and Lemon Drop. They expect it to be on sale sometime in the fall in stores that allow alcohol sales. Who approved this product? The articles kept referring to the TTB. I haven't kept up on my alphabet soup of government agencies so I did some reading. It is the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is a part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Their mission is to collect Federal excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, firearms and ammunition and to assure compliance with Federal tobacco permitting and alcohol permitting, labeling and marketing requirements to protect consumers. Never heard of this agency? I hadn't. It is part of one of my least favorite laws and a law I think has done more damage to individual freedom than any other in our history. It was established under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It employs about 470 people nationwide with Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and a national revenue center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

So there you have it. Coming soon to store shelves powdered alcohol. Somehow I see a dark cloud of misuse and abuse on the horizon. I know there are those who may think it is a case of Chicken Little and the sky is not falling. For those who think that I present Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. My personal belief is that at times Murphy is too optimistic. Time will tell.