'Palcohol' Powdered Alcohol Has Won Federal Approval: What You Need to Know

A powdered alcohol product - Palcohol - has gained approval from a federal agency.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved the new product which is intended to be mixed into drinks. Palcohol is a dried form of alcohol that can be mixed with water to create liquid alcohol.

According to the company that produces it, one packed of Palcohol equals one shot and each packet weighs 1 ounce.

The company plans to release five flavors of Palcohol: vodka, rum, cosmopolitan, powderita (which is like a margarita) and lemon drop.

Palcohol first made news last spring when it was approved from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, before the bureau backtracked and said the label approvals had been given in error.

 "Given the flavors it comes in, there's the potential for it to be very appealing to small children," said Dr. Kennon Heard, an ER doctor and medical toxicologist at the University of Colorado.

The company website notes tat the product will hit shelves this summer.

"When I hike, kayak, backpack or whatever, I like to have a drink when I reach my destination. And carrying liquid alcohol and mixers to make a margarita for instance was totally impractical," says the creator of Palcohol, Mark Phillips in a video posted on YouTube.

"We've had many medical people contact as about using it as a antiseptic especially in remote locations," he said. It could also be used an alternative fuel source, according to Phillips.