Turning water into Mojitos : Powdered alcohol on the way, but not there yet

Over the past few days, media outlets have buzzed with the story that powered alcohol -- a mix added to water to produce a range of alcoholic drinks -- is soon to hit our shelves.

The source of these reports is that Palcohol, a powered alcoholic mix produced by Mark Philips, had been approved by U.S. regulators. Once you've torn a pack open of the "patent pending" solution, adding five ounces of water creates an alcohol-laden drink "equal to a standard mixing drink."

Available in flavors including Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Lemon Drop, the mix is as discreet as a pack of sweetener, and could be used in scenarios that ban alcohol consumption -- or that are pricey, such as at movie theaters or festivals -- without attracting attention.

However, Palcohol has clarified the issue, saying that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Treasure Department approved a Palcohol label, not a patent for the mix, and even these have been surrendered and need to be altered.

Palcohol told Mashable that once the label is changed, "we’re ready for production." The company website says:

"There was a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag. There was a mutual agreement for us to surrender the labels. This doesn't mean that Palcohol isn't approved. It just means that these labels aren't approved. We will re-submit labels.

We don't have an expected approval date, as label approval can vary widely."

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com