Post #788000 by AceExplorer on Mon, Jun 25, 2018 6:55 AM

On 2018-06-24 10:57, spy-tiki wrote:
That being said, these look pretty good in a drink:

I was given a box of these "green bamboo" paper straws as a gift. They work fine for 5 minutes and then start to get soggy and break down. I really hate 'em despite the fact that they look cool and are more biodegradeable.

A number of years ago, when I was starting my home bar, I bought these (below) thick silicone straws at Wally World. Mine are brighter colors than those shown below. They work really well, but they do feel a bit unusual in the mouth because they are larger than normal straws and they are soft. You get over that weirdness pretty quickly. And they don't clink your teeth or get cold like stainless straws do. I like 'em for taller drinks. I have not yet cut any down for smaller glassware. Just like stainless straws, these can be run through the dishwasher to be easily and effectively washed and sanitized.

One more comment - I have heard from a couple experienced bartenders around me that one of the purposes of using the skinny straws in cocktail glasses is to help the drinker hold the ice in place when tipping up the glass. It's not always 100% effective, but is seen as better than nothing for the customer enjoying an iced drink who doesn't want a mess in their lap. While I definitely think there is some truth in that, we tiki folks may require straws more than others because if we frequently serve our iced drinks in hurricane and collins and "bamboo" glassware and in our generally tall tiki mugs.