Ironically enough, even with the emergence of so many retro restaurants and speak-easies of the sort, gastronomy may still be the biggest hitter in the restaurant and drinks industry. Whether it's NO2 created ice cream or bacon powder, the science and the flair really draw in the crowds. But a new potent invention may have certain states on the fence about how far they will let these gastronomists go.
Think that you've had the best martini or margarita of your life already? Well the makers of Palcohol would like to put that to the test. And now with it's recent approval courtesy of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, their newest product is legal for sale in the United States. But it's being left to the individual states whether or not you'll see it in your bars onr on your supermarket shelves.
The product, appropriately name "Palcohol", is alcohol in another form-powder in this case. Thinking out of the box, or rather out of the bottle, researchers were able to turn their favorite cocktails into powder form. Just add water, shake and sip. After all, the best drinks are shaken, not stirred.
Since last year's revocation in its first attempt at pushing the product through the bureau, Palcohol has worked out many of its earlier issues. Spokesperson for the bureau, Tom Hogue, says that all of its previous issues have been resolved to the point that now four varieties of Palcohol have now been approved. But the brand can't celebrate just yet. Just because it has made it through the bureau's guidelines doesn't mean it will be hitting shelves that soon.
While the product may be available for sale as this summer, many state legislators are pushing against the sale of powdered alcohol for fear of its potential implications. Even Colorado state legislators, who recently legalized the sale and use of marijuana, have expressed concern about the potential ease of access to minors, and the opportunity of concealing the potent substance. But the while the bureau has said that they are approving the product for sale, based on their own guidelines, they are by no means making the final call. That is up to each of the individual states and whether or not the company would like to fight their claims.
Hogue explains that the bureau's evaluation is based on whether or not the product matches its label, not "its potential for abuse.
