Powdered alcohol is now legal, with some caveats

Forget cocktails — soon, you could ingest alcohol just by pouring a powder packet into water.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has approved the not-so-cleverly-named Palcohol for sale in the United States. The product is meant to be added to mixed drinks.

Last year, the bureau revoked its first approval of the product. But Tom Hogue, a spokesperson for the bureau, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that last year's issues have been resolved, and four varieties of Palcohol are now approved.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Individual states can still ban powdered alcohol sales, though. Last month, Colorado legislators pushed laws to stop the sale of powdered alcohol, expressing concern about potential use by minors and the ease of bringing it to public events. Hogue told AP, however, that the bureau's evaluation is based on whether the product matches its label, not its "potential for abuse."

AP reports that Palcohol could be available for sale as early as this summer.