Powdered Alcohol: Really?

[SGOS]

Is there a chemist in the house?  Is this even possible?  It seems like you would have to remove the water from alcohol, so that all that's left is alcohol.   But I always assumed that the physical state of alcohol at ordinary temperatures is a liquid.  So even if the water is removed, you would still have the same problem for taking it on an overnight hike.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/seattle-hires-a-bathroom-czar-and-more-in-this-week-s-weird-business-news-202437398.html

Tang, but for alcohol

Introducing Palcohol, a new, 21st century way to get a buzz. Mark Phillips created powdered alcohol because, “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."

The powdered alcohol gained approval for sale this week by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and will be in stores this summer.

The powder can be mixed with water to make drinks, with one packet equaling one shot. Palcohol will come in five flavors: vodka, rum, cosmopolitan, powderita and lemon drop.

There is concern from local lawmakers that the powder will be abused or too quickly ingested. New York Senator Chuck Schumer has already introduced legislation to make production, sale and possession of powdered alcohol illegal.

Don't think such a thing hasn't crossed my mind before, as I've packed many a pint on overnight hikes into the wilderness area.  One of my hiking partners and I used to talk about Beer Fizzies.  Remember Fizzies from back in the 60s?  It was a flavored powder that included some ingredient that created a slight carbonated effect when mixed with water.  We laughingly proposed Beer flavored Fizzies for serious backwoods enthusiasts.

A product of this nature would naturally want to be sold by REI or Cabelas.  Would they need to get a liquor license?  I'm also suspicious about the immediate move by law makers to ban it.  You can bet Major distilleries are behind this.  If it's just alcohol, it's no different from, well, alcohol.  Why not a move to ban some other specific form of alcohol, like Jim Beam for instance?

[Mr.Obvious]

Basically, this;

https://youtu.be/0c0QLaVLhTs

[missingnocchi]

Ethanol, which is the drinkable alcohol, is indeed a liquid at room temperature. In fact, its freezing point is below that of water, which is why you can store hard liquor in the freezer without it turning to ice. In order to make powdered alcohol one has to encapsulate the ethanol, which according to Wikipedia is possible to do with cyclodextrins. These are essentially molecular rings of sugar:



Pretty neat stuff.

[SGOS]

Basically, this;

https://youtu.be/0c0QLaVLhTs

Just as I thought!  If it sounds too good to be true,...

[SGOS]

Ethanol, which is the drinkable alcohol, is indeed a liquid at room temperature. In fact, its freezing point is below that of water, which is why you can store hard liquor in the freezer without it turning to ice. In order to make powdered alcohol one has to encapsulate the ethanol, which according to Wikipedia is possible to do with cyclodextrins. These are essentially molecular rings of sugar:



Pretty neat stuff.

Mr. Obvious posted a link that describes what the solid medium might be to absorb the alcohol and simulate a kind of powder, but it also points out that a maxi pad would be a much more efficient way to transport alcohol without bottling it.

[missingnocchi]

I think the existence of beer proves that people don't really care how efficiently they're drinking alcohol (or even how it tastes).

[SGOS]

I didn't like beer.  But after I got drunk on it, I acquired a taste for it.  How strange.

[missingnocchi]

Beer is ordinarily 5% alcohol, but it can range from 4-12%. It's significantly less efficient than the powdered stuff by any measure. But hey, who knows, maybe you'll acquire a taste for dissolved cyclodextrin in the near future.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I know some friends in the USN who are "fascinated" by this idea.

[stromboli]

I know some friends in the USN who are "fascinated" by this idea.

Hell yeah. beat the shit out of Torpedo Juice, aka "Gilly".

Oh good. Now I have something to mix with my antifreeze cocktails.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I am absolutely certain now that certain fucking idiots I know will snort it, the same dipshits who crush and snort pain pills thinking they're getting high(er) while simotatiously ruining their nasal passages.. Amazingly the stomach and it's associated parts are really good at digestion while nasal passages are not, but try explaining that to some moron who is snorting vicodin..

[stromboli]

And leave us not forget anal suppositories.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Hell yeah. beat the shit out of Torpedo Juice, aka "Gilly".

Oh good. Now I have something to mix with my antifreeze cocktails.

I made some shit that would technically qualify as "drinkable", but only if you've had too much to focus on the rules.

But let's not forget that vodka and blue food coloring has produced many a bottle of "Scope" mouthwash.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Hey look. If the FDA approves this shit for mass consumption they need to fast track pure heroin in toothpaste so kids will brush their teeth and not annoy their parents.

[stromboli]

I made some shit that would technically qualify as "drinkable", but only if you've had too much to focus on the rules.

But let's not forget that vodka and blue food coloring has produced many a bottle of "Scope" mouthwash.

You'd be surprised the shit you can make in containers while at sea. Torpedo Juice- alcohol based cleaning solution used to wipe down stainless steel- used to be a go to, then the Navy decided to put something in it that made it mildly poisonous. So various people came up with solutions. We had a sudden shortage of raisins for baking purposes one patrol.

I recall that one Machinist actually came up with plans for a portable still. Torpedomen no doubt had input. For some reason they were always the biggest lushes on the boat.