Just add water and stir.

A US company says its new powdered alcohol product has been approved by US regulators and is poised to hit stores in the coming months.

Palcohol is made by an Arizona company called Lipsmark and will come in six varieties of single-drink pouches, the company website says.

Drinkers can stir in water for a shot of rum or vodka, add cola or orange juice for a mixer or create a cocktail – either a Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Margarita or Lemon Drop.

The company said it was taken by surprise by the recent release of some of its labels by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which “actually approved it some time ago”.

However, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau said today that the product was approved accidentally due to a labelling discrepancy.

A statement from Lipsmark said that the problem was with the amount of powder contained in the bag and that new labels would be resubmitted to gain approval.

Lawmaking experts say a mistake like this would be an unusual error.

“An oversight of this nature does not ring true to me,” Robert Lehrman, owner of a beverage law website, told AP, noting that the approval process is extensive and a mistake would be unlikely. Rather, Lehrman suggested that the bureau may have had feedback from lawmakers who required more information.

In response to consumer inquiries about whether the product could be snorted, the company described the askers as “goofballs” and said it would take a half cup of powder to equal one drink.

“Don’t do it! It is not a responsible or smart way to use the product,” it urged.

Powdered alcohol has already been approved for sale in Japan and some European countries.

AP