Palcohol – Pour, stir, or shake and get a Buzz
Science and technology work together to form the newest way to get a buzz or get drunk. Palcohol is a new invention that allows you to buy a pack of powdered alcohol. The product will have multiple favors and you will just need to simply add the powder to your water – mix, stir or shake and POFF! You have a delicious mixed drink. Each packet is about the same potency of one regular mixed drink. The creator is marketing it as a convenient way for people on the go such as hikers or campers that have a drink at night without having to carry bottles that would weigh them down.
Palcohol just received the US FDA blessing and can now be sold in the United States. However a few states are starting to create laws and legislation that would ban the sell of Palcohol in their state. Palcohol will start being shipping and distributed summer 2015. It will be very interesting to see the effect that powered alcohol will have on the overall alcohol market. I think that it is just a gimmick that really only appeals to teenagers and campers. I think Palcohol will come in and be gone or outlawed in most states within 5 years. It will be a fad. Much like parachute pants. It will be controversial in some groups and communities but in the end it will fizzle.
A similar innovation that comes to mind when I think of Palcohol is electronic cigarettes. However e-cigarettes had a great marketing and advertising advantage in the fact that it is a “safer” alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes and cigars and can be a great tool for people wanting to quit smoking and kick the habit to try e-cigs. E-cigarettes is how I finally quit smoking. The marketing of Palcohol seems to be falling short and I do not believe it will live up to the hopes of distribution and revenue that the creator, Mark Phillips sees for it. However, I think it is a very clever innovation. If it was up to me and I wanted to have a drink or two at home or on the go and I had the choice of traditional beer, wine, malt beverage or Palcohol at 7/11 – I would choice the traditional bottled alcohol.
See what the creator Mark Phillips has to say about his product himself:
What do you think about this new invitation of Palcohol to get a buzz? Would you buy it if you saw at your local gas station? Would you go buy half a dozen if you and your buddies were going on a camping trip for the weekend? Let us know!