No, they aren't alcohol, they are water based. They have the same properties as the Ranger Distress ink pad line. I'm not sure what the ingredients are, but they are pretty cool. Take a look at the video of Tim Holtz demonstrating them at CHA in this thread. So far what I like about them is that you can layer up your color right on the stamp and the color doesn't muddy. I need more play time, but so far I'm impressed.