Useful and harmful properties of dry alcohol. What is dry alcohol

The twentieth century has become a period of rapid development and sensational discoveries in various fields of science and technology for mankind. One such innovation is powdered alcohol.

new invention

Regular alcoholic products have been known since ancient times. It requires the presence of natural raw materials, special equipment and certain conditions for reference The result is a product ready for consumption. But it has two drawbacks - weight and packaging. In a standard glass container, a liquid product creates additional problems in terms of transportation. It was these factors that were the subject of research by scientists who set themselves the goal of creating powdered alcohol. The benefits of such a product are obvious. When traveling or on vacation, it is easier to take a bag of powder with you than a bag of bottles. IN right moment all that remains is to make the simplest manipulation, and the desired drink will be ready within a few minutes.

The idea interested many, and scientists enthusiastically set to work. As a result, powdered alcohol was nevertheless created. Producers of a new type of alcohol are trying in every possible way to interest future buyers. They draw attention to the fact that such a product will cost much less than its liquid counterpart. And such a benefit cannot but interest potential consumers.

Pending Sales

The developers of the revolutionary novelty present powdered alcohol as a substance necessary in everyday life. For example, an alcoholic liquid can be used by tourists as a wound treatment. And in winter time powder motorists special composition they can prepare antifreeze with their own hands, or, as the people say, “anti-freeze”. Everything is simple, fast, no need to mess with bulky containers. The first plant for the production of a new product is located in the United States, the Government has already thought through all the issues regarding pricing and taxation. Item in soon may be on sale. To begin with, manufacturers intend to release five types of products:

• vodka,
• Cosmopolitan cocktail,
• Lemon Drop cocktail
• a cocktail called "Pauderita", which tastes very similar to the famous "Margarita".

Interestingly, such alcoholic mixtures are not subject to the law on age restrictions. Therefore, young people will be able to easily purchase such a product in the distribution network. Perhaps this is not entirely true, but the legitimacy of such actions has not yet been disputed by anyone.

familiar principle

In our country, people are already accustomed to products such as coffee or soft drinks. But few people know about powdered alcohol. What is it and how to deal with it? Technology in this case extremely simple. It's like the ad: "Just add water!" Indeed, nothing complicated. There are two options:

1. Pour the powder into a clean container, and then fill it with plain water.

2. Pour water into the prepared container, and then pour a portion of the powder into it.

Basically, there is no difference here. In both cases, the same drink will turn out. Very comfortably. No need to buy a half-liter bottle of vodka to drink only one shot. Why pay more? What to do with the rest of the vodka?

And how will the situation change if you use powdered alcohol? What will it be: financial gain or the ability to limit the amount of alcohol consumed? Perhaps both. Or, for example, the housewife decided to bake a cake. To impregnate the cakes, she needs 100 grams of rum or cognac. Under normal conditions, she is forced to buy a whole bottle, and this, of course, is expensive. Using a dry concentrate, the hostess can prepare a delicious dessert and save money at the same time. What is not a benefit?

How the treasured powder is made

Many, remembering school lessons Chemistry, we are sure that it is impossible to make alcohol in the form of a powder, because ethyl alcohol freezes at a fairly low temperature (-114.3 degrees Celsius). How can such a powder be preserved in ordinary home conditions? This is where supramolecular chemistry comes to the rescue. It is she who will help to figure out what powder alcohol actually is. The composition of the new product can be conditionally represented as two elements: and cyclodextrins. Back in 1974, American scientists filed a patent for an invention with which an alcohol molecule can be placed as if in a cell consisting of a certain group of carbohydrates that are easy to isolate from ordinary starch.

Subsequently, upon contact with water, the ethylene molecule is "released from the shackles" and turns the resulting solution into an alcohol mixture of a certain concentration. This is the whole secret. There are fears that some people may decide to simply inhale the powder, increasing its intoxicating effect. But here everything depends not on the manufacturer, but only on the consumer. Everyone is in charge of his own destiny and health.

Different opinions

Revolutionary alcohol received the unusual name Palcohol. From the moment of its invention to the present day, irreconcilable disputes have been going on in society. Some argue that powdered alcohol is not only an excellent substitute for the usual drinks, but also extremely necessary thing in those areas and fields of activity where weight and volume are of no small importance (tourism, organization of expeditions). However, their opponents argue that all this is nothing compared to the evil that New Product society. After all, a child can buy a sweet powder that replaces one of the cocktails, and use it, for example, without diluting it with water. In this case, the result can be the most deplorable. In addition, a small bag can be easily carried into any room, which means that the consumption of alcoholic beverages cannot be limited. People will start drinking everywhere. And what good can a drinking society lead to? Many countries support this view. For example, Canada has not yet agreed to sell this product in its own country. The rest also take a wait-and-see attitude. Perhaps not destined to appear on store shelves? Time will put everything in its place.

Even on the bottomless Internet, there is not much information about powdered alcohol. Both domestic and American online media know little about him, so information had to be collected bit by bit. I suggest we start with a little chemical introduction.

Powder alcohol- molecularly encapsulated alcohol. The powder produces an alcoholic beverage when mixed with water.

According to food chemistry expert Udo Pollmer (European Institute for Food and Nutrition Science in Munich), alcohol can be absorbed into cyclodextrins, sugar derivatives. Thus, they are encapsulated in small capsules and the liquid can be powdered. Cyclodextrins can absorb about 60% of their own weight in alcohol. The process was patented in the US back in 1974.

Wikipedia

How harmful is dry alcohol to the body compared to regular liquid alcohol? There is no such information, as well as any global studies on this topic. I hope that among you there will be chemists who will explain the structure of the powder and will give their verdict with feeling, with sense, with an arrangement.

Story

Powdered alcohol got its name from the English Powdered Alcohol, which means "powdered, dry alcohol". The term first gained a lot of publicity last year when American upstart Lipsmark LLC announced its intention to start selling “degree powder” in the US market. The manufacturer managed to get preliminary approval from national regulators, although a little later the permission was withdrawn.

But Lipsmark LLC did not give up and in February 2015, they did achieve a green light for their products. The start of deliveries is tentatively scheduled for the coming summer. Remarque: the authorities of individual states opposed the permission of the national leadership, imposing a ban on powdered alcohol at the local level.

Although Lipsmark LLC cannot be called an innovator. Before the Americans, powdered alcohol was pushed through in Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands. In the country of tulips, an interesting game was played out. Several local students of the Faculty of Food Technology of the Helikon Vocational Institute realized that powdered alcohol is not subject to laws that apply to liquid alcohol, and, accordingly, it can be bought even before reaching the coveted 18 years. It was way back in 2007. I have not been able to find more recent information about the Dutch "rescue" of the youth. Apparently, the shop was closed due to the retaliatory actions of the legislator or low popularity.

Palcohol

Palchohol- common name for the Lipsmark LLC product line, which currently includes four types of drinks: rum, vodka, Cosmopolitan and Powderita cocktails. A little later, at least two more cocktails will be added. The powder is packaged in packages of 29-gram shares. With the addition of 200 ml of water, one sachet gives one serving of a low-alcohol drink. Although no one forbids stirring several doses to increase the degree.

According to the manufacturer, cheap powder alcohol is the right alternative to the usual alcohol sold at concerts, theaters and any other mass events at an unnecessarily high price. There is nothing to profit from the desire to relax! In our area, "alkopowder" should not arouse suspicion among the vigilant guards of nightclubs and police cordons, which could potentially be interesting.

But this position received sharp criticism in the American media, so Lipsmark LLC had to abandon it and come up with something else. Now Palcohol is positioned as a great way to relax people from the world of amateur sports and active rest.

There is no need to carry bulky breakable bottles and glasses with you, because small bags will not take up much space and will not be damaged on the road. I opened it, added water and ice and, if I didn’t feel like drinking, sealed it again.

Convenience has no limits! Again, with our traditions of immeasurable drinking in the bosom of nature, such marketing also works.

Pros and cons

Of course, the appearance of such a controversial product could not but cause a storm of indignation and protests demanding a ban on the production of powdered alcohol. The manufacturer Palcohol understands the breaking of stereotypes and is trying in every possible way to reassure the public, refuting the most common myths that have enveloped powdered alcohol. To do this, the head of Lipsmark LLC even made a video in the spirit of MythBusters under the concise but juicy title "The Truth About Palcohol".

The video is long enough, so I'll break it down.

First, the matter concerns moral and legal aspects powder alcohol:

• While powder alcohol ban advocates keep talking about its dangers, they would do well to know and reverse side medals. Psychological research shows that a banned product is always in high demand. No alcohol law - bright to that confirmation.
• Banning Palcohol, state creates and maintains an uncontrolled black market. The situation is comparable to the illegal circulation of marijuana. A fifteen-year-old teenager will not be able to buy powder alcohol on a par with liquid alcohol due to age restrictions at the points of sale, but at the same time on the street, he will calmly take the “dope”.
• In an attempt to "decapitate" Lipsmark LLC, the government of the country will lose a lot of money and lose significant tax deductions.
• Banning Palcohol will not solve the problem of alcohol abuse. It is necessary to educate the population in the culture of consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• No one has the right to impose on a person what to drink and what not to drink. The authorities should protect the rights of citizens, and not produce endless restrictions.

• Do you think anyone would snort powdered alcohol like drugs to get drunk quickly? You are crazy! First, it hurts. Alcohol will "burn" your respiratory system. Second, it's impractical. It will take you a lot of effort (somewhere within an hour!) To sniff out a portion equivalent to one glass of vodka. There is little alcohol in the powder; it is not concentrated alcohol for dilution. So-so pleasure, it's easier to drink a glass in a couple of seconds.
• Powdered alcohol as a way to deceive everyone and everything? How to see! The volume of Palcohol exceeds its liquid equivalent by as much as four times. Try to hide 100 ml of vodka and its dry counterpart - the second is much more difficult to hide.
• A quick way to drink? Not at all, only the dissolution of the powder will take about a minute. In the meantime, you pour out Palcohol and fill it with water, someone nearby manages to get pretty drunk on classic alcohol.

At the end of the speech, the speaker lists the unobvious for common man advantages of dry alcohol:

• We have already talked about the benefits for travelers. Light hermetic packaging will not cause unnecessary trouble for those who want to relax with their favorite drink away from civilization.
• The hotel and restaurant business will benefit from the low weight of powdered alcohol. Its transportation will be much cheaper due to the smaller amount of fuel burned. The issue is especially relevant for remote resorts where alcohol is delivered by air.
• Some ice cream producers are not averse to expanding their range with an unusual adult version. The simple addition of powder can bring in new customers. Thus, business opens up very promising horizons for itself.
• Unexpectedly: medical institutes expressed their interest in powdered alcohol as an easily transportable antiseptic.
• Already, livestock farms are eyeing Palcohol, followed by windshield wipers. There are opinions that powdered alcohol can act as a source of energy or fuel both in the civilian and military industries.

Since powdered alcohol is the most revolutionary product, the scope of its application has no limits.

Conclusion

Surely, many readers of Lifehacker, in the course of the article, remembered their young or young years, which saw a boom in instant drinks with fruit flavors. There were few vitamins in them, more precisely, they were not at all - only dyes and flavors. But what was the effect!

A turn of life has passed, and our children are faced with a new poisonous temptation that meets the standards of the time. It is not in vain that powdered alcohol is replete with the names of glamorous cocktails, attracting the attention of the most active and daring part of society for experiments.

Bumping is not cool. Everyone knows this. Mixing alkonovinka in a shaker is great! Perhaps this is how they will try to instill in us the fashion for powdered alcohol by the masters of manipulating the consciousness of the masses in the presence of a reliable patron.

Already now in the Russian-speaking segment of the Web you can find advertisements for the sale of treasured bags. They are rare and are unlikely to be in great demand due to the low awareness of the potential audience. If Palcohol is successful in the USA, there can be no doubt that the fresh movement will spread here as well. It is difficult to say how the domestic legislator will behave in relation to a completely new product. Surely there will be entrepreneurs who will take advantage of the imperfection of regulatory documents and try to “blow up” the market. In general, while there is a lot of ambiguity.

What do you think about the prospects of powdered alcohol? Maybe you have tried it?

Today, the world market of alcoholic products offers the modern consumer to try alcohol-containing powder in the form of a full-fledged substitute for alcohol. Such a product is a dry granular drink packed in separate sachets. In what it is and what are the features of such a product, we understand the material below.

The history of dry alcohol

Despite the fact that dry alcohol is considered a novelty for the Russian consumer, such a drink was invented a long time ago. The first patent for the manufacture of such a product was issued back in 1974. However, at that time, dry alcohol did not take root and was not appreciated by the buyer.

It is noteworthy that in Japan such powdered alcohol has been successfully sold since 1981. And in Holland, this type of product was slightly modified by Dutch students. Key Feature here was that powdered alcohol was not recognized by the authorities as a full-fledged alcohol-containing drink, which means that it was available for sale to persons under the age of 18. That is, the ban on dry alcohol in this country was not widespread.

Important: And yet, later, the authorities recognized dry powdered alcohol as harmful to young people and banned its sale. It is for this reason that the dry alcoholic drink lost its popularity and was not promoted into mass trade.

Later, the baton for the production of dry alcohol was taken over by the United States of America. They launched their line of products called Palcohol, which means Powdered Alcohol - dry alcohol. The production of such products was taken up by the American company Lipsmark. Literally in 2014, the company finalized the original recipe for a dry drink and released it to the US alcohol market. It is worth noting here that in some states of America there was a ban on the sale of such products. In the rest of the states, there were no prohibitive sanctions on the dry alcohol-containing drink, and there still are none.

Important: Already in 2015-2016, the company planned to start supplying a dry alcohol-containing drink to the Russian market. Presumably, the main consumer of such products was to be young people (visitors of night clubs) and tourists.

What is powdered alcohol?

If the reader wants to know what dry alcohol is and what it is for the modern consumer, then here you need to delve a little into chemistry. The fact is that the technology for the production of a powdered alcohol-containing drink lies in the fact that ethanol molecules are encapsulated. For this, cyclodextrin is used, which is originally extracted from starch. As a result of the reaction taking place, the cyclodextrin absorbs the alcohol and converts its cyclodextrin carbohydrate. That is, in hard capsules. To bring the drink to a liquid state, just add it to the sachet with powder required amount water. Within 3 minutes, the powdered alcohol-containing drink will turn into a liquid. The composition of the drink is complemented by dyes and flavors.

Important: today it has four types of dry alcoholic beverages on the market - vodka, rum and two low-alcohol cocktails.

Benefits of dry alcohol

If the reader is still unaware of what powdered alcohol is and is trying to figure out its benefits, then the following is worth knowing here. The manufacturer justifies the benefits of his product with the following criteria:

• Powdered alcohol is convenient to use when hiking and outings into nature. Small sachets with a dry drink do not take up much space in luggage and do not have a lot of weight, which is convenient for a tourist.
• Powdered alcohol can become a topical product at outdoor ceremonies and festivities. Here you will not need to stock up on a huge number of boxes with alcohol, but it will be enough to have a package of dry alcohol.
• It is also relevant to use a similar powdered product in remote tourist regions. In particular, in mountain hotels, which are more difficult and costly to deliver capacious bottled spirits.
• The manufacturer also assures that the use of powdered dry alcoholic beverages will be useful for food manufacturers. In particular, such a product can become a full-fledged flavor in the manufacture of ice cream.
• It is convenient to use such a dry alcohol-containing product in medical institutions as an antiseptic, which is enough to be diluted with water.
• And, of course, the manufacturer assures that the use of powdered alcohol will also be convenient for military companies that can use the product as an energy drink.

This is interesting: manufacturers of glass cleaners have also begun to look at dry alcohol as a full-fledged replacement for the alcohol-containing liquid used in the production.

Cautions for the Russian consumer

Rospotrebnadzor believes that the use of alcohol-containing powder as an alcoholic beverage is not advisable for the Russian consumer. Such arguments are based on the fact that the product has not been fully studied and its effect on the human body has not yet been fully studied. In order to introduce a ban on the use of such alcohol in powder, a regulatory act has been developed, which, on this moment is pending. Officials fear not only the negative impact of the unexplored product on the body of the Russian consumer, but also its misuse. In particular, Russian youth can consume a modern product not in the form of a drink, but in the form of an inhaled powder.

Important: It is worth noting that not only in half of the states of America, the sale of dry alcohol is prohibited. Europe has also adopted a ban on the sale of such products.

Concerns and rebuttals about dry alcohol

All countries that have issued a ban on the sale of powdered alcohol are afraid of the following points:

• The development of alcoholism in countries due to the use of such a product.
• The use of dry alcohol where drinking is prohibited in principle (big matches at the stadium, concerts, mass cultural events).
• Application of the dry product as a powdered inhalant drug.

For all concerns and arguments, the manufacturer refutes. Moreover, as an information base, he releases a video in which he talks in detail about his product.

In particular, the manufacturer Lipsmark assures that their product will not contribute to the alcoholization of the population. That is, banning measures for the sale of dry alcohol will in no way save a society that is used to drinking. The company is sure that it is necessary, first of all, to develop a culture of drinking alcoholic beverages in countries, and not form bans on their sale.

As for the inhalation of the powder through the nose as a narcotic substance, here the manufacturing company assures that it is simply impossible to inhale this large dose of such a product to achieve a narcotic effect. And the mucous membrane of a person who decides to drink a drink in this form will simply be burned.

Important: Lipsmark is confident that the ban on the sale of alcohol in powder form will only spur the modern consumer's interest in such a product. As a result, powdered alcohol will be sold on the black market.

Tip: Every adult who understands what dry alcohol is has the right to decide how, what, where and when to drink. However, if you really want to drink, then it is better to use the usual glass of beer or a glass or two of vodka, which do not include harmful dyes and impurities. What can not be said about alcohol in powder form.

What is the history of Palcohol? How natural is the powder surrogate? Is it possible to get an acceptable quality alcoholic cocktail with it?

The idea of ​​obtaining dry alcohol is far from new, although it has not been widely adopted.

The first creator of alcohol powder should be considered the Japanese Jinichi Sato, the founder of the Japanese food company Sato Food Industries, which has been developing food flavors since 1954. During chemical experiments in 1969, he discovered that lactose anhydride powder traps alcohol molecules. This process was not suitable for creating dry alcohol. The alcohol content of the resulting powder was negligible. In addition, after dissolving the powder in water, a viscous alcoholic gel was formed unsuitable for human consumption.

But inspired by the work of Sato Foods, American chemists continued their experiments to develop the technology for producing dry alcohol. And they succeeded. In 1974, General Food Corp. chemists received patent US003795747 on the technology of manufacturing a powder containing alcohol. Americans used cyclodextrins (carbohydrates derived from starch) as a carrier of alcohol. Cyclodextrins can absorb about 60% of their own weight in alcohol. And then, when a powder with alcohol encapsulated in it is dissolved in water, an alcoholic drink is obtained.

American chemists came to the conclusion that the technology of encapsulating alcohol molecules in cyclodextrins is still very expensive and imperfect for industrial scale implementation.

Jinichi Sato, using American developments, continued to work on the creation of dry alcohol and, finally, in 1981 began selling alcohol powder in Japan. Despite the innovativeness of the product, sales were not as impressive as one might expect. Powdered sake was introduced to the market. Powdered sake looked like a yellowish powder similar to potato flakes and was diluted with cold water. Powdered sake was not particularly popular; apparently, in terms of its taste, it was much inferior to its liquid counterpart.

Sato Foods is still the manufacturer alcoholic powders in Japan, in particular, they produce powdered brandy, which, after dilution with water, forms a 12% alcoholic drink. Alcoholic powders in Japan are used as a flavoring and flavoring additive to food.

Subyou and Booze2Go

A few years later, attempts to create an alcoholic drink obtained from a dry powder continued in Germany. In 2004, the so-called Subyou could be bought on the territory of this country. This product was a starch-like powder. Upon contact with water, the powder turned into an alcoholic cocktail with a strength of 4.8-6 degrees. Again, this drink was not widely used. Subsequently, Subyou manufacturers refocused on the creation of powder energy drinks, which are now produced in Germany.

The next step in the history of the powder product was 2007, when students from the Netherlands improved Subyou, calling it Booze2Go. The product entered the market thanks to four food technology students from the Helikon Vocational Institute in Boxtel. The product was aimed at the youth market, and one of the advantages of the powder would be legal sales to people under 18 years of age. They compared the drink to alcopops such as the Bacardi Breezer, with the expectation that the relatively low alcohol content would make the drink popular among young people.

Wim van Dalen, director of the Dutch National Foundation for the Prevention of Alcoholism, said the powder is not subject to alcohol and HoReCa laws, but only until dissolved in water. This means that anyone can buy the powder. He said he is generally not supportive of new alcoholic beverages, but doubts whether the powder will be attractive to buyers. A spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports said no action was taken against the product, but added that, in accordance with other laws, the label must contain a warning of any health risks to the consumer.

This time the product gained popularity in certain circles. First of all, because of the low cost (only 1-2 euros).

At that time, Booze2Go was distributed without any restrictions, as it was difficult to put it into any category. However, as soon as Booze2Go was recognized as an alcoholic drink, its cost skyrocketed and ceased to be attractive.

The United States decided to correct this situation, where in 2008 a line of powdered alcohol was created, designed for adult consumers. cheap production allowed to keep acceptable price product even after including alcohol excises and other taxes in the price.

In 2008, the American company "Pulver Spirits" developed a line of alcoholic powder products. The marketing strategy was reportedly prepared to be fully compliant with alcohol regulation and targeting the adult consumer. However, although Pulver Spirits products are taxed and controlled by the government in the same way as other alcoholic beverages in the US, this product is purchased primarily as a food flavoring.

Emergence of the PALCOHOL brand

In the spring of 2014, Arizona-based Lipsmark LLC announced that it would be selling alcoholic powder under the Palcohol brand starting in the fall. The product was tentatively approved for sale by the US Excise Bureau on April 8, 2014, but the decision was reversed on April 21.

Finally, in March 2015, the US Excise Licensing Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco issued a permit for the production of a product under the Palcohol brand within the US.

Half a century of Japanese experience and an American patent were safely “forgotten”, and a marketing legend about an active tourist is now being formed around the Palcohol brand. According to this legend, the appearance of powdered alcohol is the merit of the famous American wine critic Mark Phillips. Mark Phillips is a very extraordinary person, an extravagant gentleman who has managed to try more than 80 professions in his entire life. Today, Phillips is the author of a popular US wine show and a book about winemaking.

According to information published on the brand's website, Mark Phillips is allegedly an ardent fan of outdoor activities. Wherever it was - on a forest lawn or on a walk along the sea coast, he was constantly oppressed by the need to carry bottles of alcohol with him everywhere. That is why, according to the site, he came up with the idea to turn alcohol into a powder that will be light and easy to transport. His experiments and numerous consultations with the luminaries of organic chemistry from different countries lasted several years. As a result, they jointly allegedly invented "alcohol powder".

Be that as it may, Palcohol will soon appear on the US and European markets. Lipsmark plans to enter the Russian market in 2016.

Palcohol will be available in six flavors. Powder V - powdered vodka - is made from vodka, R - from first-class rum. And four more types of cocktails: mojito, margarita, cosmopolitan and lemon cocktail. To get all these drinks, it will be enough to pour the powder into water and stir well.

Security and legal aspects

One of the main issues related to the creation of powder products has become safety.

How natural is the powder surrogate? Is it possible to get an acceptable quality alcoholic cocktail with it?

In the United States, according to the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Revenue and Trade, powdered alcohol that is intended for the production of a drink falls under the jurisdiction of both the federal government bureau and state governments. As such, they are regulated in the same way as any other alcoholic beverage, require the same licensing permits, and are taxed accordingly. In this case, each individual state will be able to decide whether to prohibit or allow the sale of Palcohol in its territory. A number of US states are already taking steps to ban the product, including Colorado, Vermont, South Carolina and Louisiana.

Despite the huge number of myths that this product has acquired, a study by the European Institute for Food and Nutritional Sciences (Munich) showed that molecular structure powdered alcohol does not change at all after turning into a starchy substance. The only difference from real alcohol is the lack of water.

All this data is still not enough strong argument for the governments of many countries, including Russia. Rospotrebnadzor banned the sale of "powdered alcohol" potentially dangerous to human health on Russian territory.

Palcohol powdered alcohol prospects

• Powdered alcohol has been around for at least 30 years and has been used as a flavoring and flavoring food additive in many countries.
• Attempts to market dry alcohol as a drink have always failed, as they did in Japan, Germany and the Netherlands.
• Powder alcohol dissolved in water is much inferior in its organoleptic qualities to traditional alcohol, so it is used only as a flavoring additive to food.
• The excitement around the alcohol powder, long known to food companies, is part of marketing strategy to promote the Palcohol brand to the market. And all sorts of bans and scandals related to this topic only stir up public interest in dry alcohol.

The brand's website reports that some ice cream producers are not averse to expanding their range with an unusual adult version. The simple addition of powder can bring in new customers.

In addition, the hotel and restaurant industry may be interested in the low weight of powdered alcohol, since transporting powder is cheaper than transporting liquid. The issue is especially relevant for remote resorts, where alcohol is delivered by plane. And, perhaps soon, inexpensive resort hotels will offer not only chemical powdered juices, but also powdered alcoholic cocktails.

Medical institutes have also voiced their interest in powdered alcohol as an easy-to-carry antiseptic. Animal farms are eyeing Palcohol, followed by windshield wipers. There are opinions that powdered alcohol can act as a source of energy or fuel both in the civilian and military industries.

As soon as the news that the US government had approved the sale of powdered alcohol spread around the world, the public realized that a futuristic future with food tablets, supersonic aircraft and strange fashion had already arrived. If nothing changes, then in the fall of 2014, Americans will be able to afford to dissolve the powder in water and get one of 5 possible alcoholic drinks, including rum, vodka, Mojito, Margarita and Cosmopolitan.

The reaction of people to the emergence of a new and much cheaper analogue of alcohol was ambiguous. In Russia, a debate immediately began on the question of how safe it is and whether this will become another problem for young people. Let's try to deal with all the dark spots and find out what is hidden behind the modern invention.

A bit of history and theory

One of the existing versions of the creation of powdered alcohol is the story of an American Mark Phillips, who became the creator and father of a new product and soon plans to receive a patent for the invention.

In fact, the history of powdered alcohol began 10 years ago in Germany.

In 2004 on the territory of this country it was possible to buy Subyou. This product was a starch-like powder or standard tablets. Upon contact with water, the substances were converted into an alcoholic cocktail with a strength of 4.8-6 degrees.

The next stage in the history of the powder product was 2007, when students from the Netherlands improved Subyou, turning it into Booz2Go. The method of creating an alcoholic drink resembled the well-known process of breeding "Civita" or "Yuppie".

Interestingly, this product has gained popularity in certain circles. Why? It's simple:

• low cost (only 1-2 euros);
• ease of preparation;
• the ability to adjust the strength by adding more powder.

At that time, Booz2Go was distributed without any restrictions, as it was difficult to put it into any category. However, as soon as Booz2Go was recognized as alcohol, its cost skyrocketed and ceased to be attractive.

The United States decided to correct this situation, where in 2008 a line of powdered alcohol was created, designed for adult consumers. Cheap production made it possible to maintain an acceptable price of the product even after including the cost of excise and other taxes.

Let's talk about security

One of the main issues related to the creation of powder products has become safety.

How natural is the powder surrogate? Can you get wine or liquor with it?

Despite the huge number of myths that this product has acquired, a study by the European Institute of Food and Nutritional Sciences (Munich) showed that the molecular structure of powdered alcohol does not change at all after turning into a starch-like substance. The only difference from real alcohol is the lack of water.

All this data still did not become a strong enough argument for the governments of many countries, including Russia. Experts are sure that powdered alcohol is unlikely to appear on the territory of our country. This is because the way it is packaged is very similar to narcotic substances, which can lead to incorrect use of the product.

By the way, there are several ways to use powdered alcohol:

• classical. In this case, water must be used to turn the powder into a liquid substance;
• ingestion without dissolution in water. This is a more extreme and not particularly sophisticated way;
• inhalation using special devices resembling a spray.

Instead of a conclusion

- indeed one of the strangest, but quite logical inventions of the 21st century. Will it be mass-produced worldwide?

Will it gain popularity? Will it offer a competitive price? There are still too many questions.

Only one thing can be said unequivocally: true connoisseurs of fine alcohol will forever remain adherents of the WineStreet store and the good old classics that cannot be replaced by powder analogues.