Straw or no straw? Let's debate.

So i'm not sure if a mai tai needs to be drank with a straw or sipped? On most trader vic's pics of this drink there are no straws and he doesn't mention it in his recipes. The only time i've actually see someone comment on this is Beachbum Berry's Shark tooth recipe that indicates" serve without straw", Now taking that into account i assume all (or most) exotica's should be served with a straw. This question came to me as i was sipping a maitai and the next thing i new , it was done, already? Maybe i was supposed to sip it,... oops. Then again i own the Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide and there is a Menehune Juice cocktail pictured on the cover(WITH A STRAW), now i'm sure i am not the only weekend mixologist that noticed the Menehune and the Mai Tai are exactly the same in ingedients and in proportion's except for the rum's used, so maybe the Mai Tai along with most of tiki drinks unless noted should be served with a ...straw. Maybe some co-tiki-enthusiasts would like to comment on this matter. All opinions welcome.

My understanding is that the Mai Tai is to be served without a straw, so as to give one the opportunity to enjoy the scent of the mint garnish whilst sipping, a pleasure that is lost when drinking through a straw. Unfortunately, many folks choose to put a float of dark rum on their Mai Tais ("so the booze lasts all the way to the last sip", supposedly...) which makes the use of a straw mandatory and effectively negating the purpose of the mint.

Personally, I drink all iced beverages without a straw, but have found that if I serve them that way, I get a sort of "hey - where's my straw?" kind of look...

As far as other drinks go, I'd say a lot depends on how the drink is prepared, the type of glass used, and the type/amount of garnishes, but the Mai Tai (AND it's bizarro-twin the Menehune Juice) should be strawless (but usually isn't).

"A straw for every Mai Tai!" I say.
Addendum;
This caption was for this stupid photograph.
I usualy don't use a straw unless there is a lot of crushed ice.

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga on 2005-01-27 00:25 ]

Tiki Bree once said to me, "Girls like straws."

Argument over.

It's a simple equation... there's no need to use a straw in drinks served in a manageable glass or short mug. But when you start trying to drink an icy concoction out of a tall or oddly shaped mug and end up with more of it in your lap than in your mouth, use a straw!

I think I have a cavity ... my back teeth are sensitive to the cold.

So I say ... yes to the straw.

Mint (except julep or mojito), no straw

otherwise, do as yee may. But make it a crazy straw, with like, glitter and little bow patterns and stuff. I mean, if you're going to go "girly" (apologies to those transcending aged stereotypical gender roles), then go all the way.

For a Mai Tai I usually use a pair of those slim short cocktail straws. This way you still get to bury your nose in the mint.

doesn't the mai tai drink itself too fast with a straw? With the crushed ice you have to sip it.

[ Edited by: dan the beachcomber on 2005-01-26 11:20 ]

On 2005-01-26 11:02, dan the beachcomber wrote:
doesn't the mai tai drink itself too fast with a straw?

The faster you drink it, the sooner you get another!

I usually like a straw in all mugs and cups except for the shorter old fashioned style.
To me they add to the garnish, and the brighter the better. I like to choose the colour of the straw depending on the colour of the mug.

Anything with a nicely smelling garnish(mint, gardenia, plumeria etc.) shouldn't have a straw, so you can bury your nose in there, but those short straws would be ok in a short glass.

I find it difficult to drink beverages that contain a lot of crushed ice without a straw. I have to sort of use my teeth as sieve, not very ladylike. And besides, I can't drink nearly fast enough that way!

I like to play with my straw, and I tend to drink faster when using a straw(as stated above)

Straws are good! But you won't catch me asking for one if it's not already included. I'll take what I'm given :)

I put a straw in anything I make in the blender (which ain't too often) and any drinks shaken or stired on the rocks or straight up NO straw. I usually cut a lime and run it around the rim of my glass and in the case of margaritas or Mexican beer add salt to the rim as well, so straws definately ruin the experience in that case. I do serve drinks with straws to guests so they have the option of using them or tossing them, and you got the "fancy" straws (like the kine you get @ Party City) it makes for a more "visually stunning presentation" (oh m'god...I think I've been watchin' too much Queer Eye For The Straight Guy again)!

There are several recipes for the Mint Julep, but there are basically two camps (Virginia vs. Kentucky) and one of the primary differences is: straw or no straw.

Virginians generally prefer no-straw Juleps, while Kentuckians insist on them. Now, Kentucky is the home of bourbon and therefore should have the rights of the senior party in this argument, but if one wants to be perfectly technical, Kentucky was part of Virginia, once upon a time. And on that basis, Virginians will tell you haughtily to this day that a Julep is just not worth having, if has been made in the Kentucky manner.

I just tried a mai tai without a straw and it just didn't work for me (for the record, I use those little tiny short straws). I was making weird noises trying to suck the drink through the ice that was getting into my teeth. I don't like my teeth to get too cold. I decided to simply sniff the mint then sup from the straw. That did the trick.

DOH!! No straws!
I once drank a scorpion WITHOUT A STRAW! Hehehe. Should have seen the stares I got!

(Wasn't feeling too good afterwards though...)

SjN

Pablus wrote:

Tiki Bree once said to me, "Girls like straws."

Argument over.

Finally a boy raised up right!!!

Straws are for frozen drinks, bowl drinks, drinks with overproof rum floats, and drinks that are so elaborately garnished you can't pick up the glass and drink out of it easily. :)

All other drinks are straw free. :)

Every Mai-tai that I've ever been served at Trader Vic's, Atlanta, (and there have been a few of those) came with a full sized straw poking out of it. I tend to pull them out but hang on to them as the ice, when crushed properly (as, at TV's, it always is), tends to stick together and clump up in the glass if you don't just gulp the liquid contents. If you use ice crushed in a blender or a refrigerator door gizmo you're not getting ice that's fine enough to do that to begin with so it might not be a problem.
At home I use an electric Rival Ice-O-Matic and, so, serve mine with straws which I have shortened to about 4 inches. This puts your nose right into the mint. If yank it out it's good to hang on to (like I said).

I like straws. They make me feel as though I am sipping my cocktail daintily. Wouldn't want anyone to think I was enjoying it waaaaaaaaaay too much :wink:

Apparently straws get you more intoxicated as you have a lower oxygen intake. You can even get glass port sippers with an inbuilt 'straw' to allow you to suck the booze from the bottom.

I always use Peppermint as a garnish in my Mai Tais, as the smell is sweeter than 'ordinary' mint. I use a straw (which is fine by me), otherwise the smell of the mint overpowers the drink. With a straw, the mix of smell and taste is perfect.

[ Edited by: Kon-Hemsby 2005-08-05 02:42 ]

Ooh, forgot one. :)

Another time straws are a good idea is when the drink is served in a tall glass packed with small ice. They keep the drink extra cold, sure, but without a straw it becomes more and more likely you'll end up with a faceful of ice as you tilt the glass to get those last drops from the bottom of the glass. :)

I almost always opt to use a straw for one simple, girly reason: my lipstick. Might sound silly to those who don't wear makeup, but I want my lipstick to last -- using a straw makes a big difference. Plus, lipstick can be a bear to wash off of glasses.

Even if I wasn't concerned about my lipstick, I'd probably opt for a straw for the ice-and-garnish-hitting-the-teeth-and-on-the-face reason. I don't like feeling like my drink is an obstacle course to be conquered.

I recently moved and after many hours of hauling, toting and unpacking I decided to treat myself to a mai tai. BTW, one of the first things unpacked was the five boxes of booze. I made my drink and then realized that my cocktail straws were still packed away somewhere! That was rough going, trying to suck the nectar through all that ice. I had ice packing on my eye teeth and getting in my mustache. My teeth got cold and I just couldn't get the desired flow of booze into my gullet. The next day I quickly found my straws and now all is well.

My general rule of thumb is: cubed ice = no straw; crushed or shaved ice = small cocktail straw; blended drink (Blue Hawaiian) = standard straw.

Next question (or maybe this should be a new thread) concerning straw selection etiquette: when is it appropriate to serve a drink with a little skinny "squeaker straw", a regular size "flexistraw" or a mondo, big-ass "alaska pipeline" straw?

I prefer a rolled up 50 dollar bill. Wait, is this the eighties? I must have had a flashback. Never mind.

[ Edited by: Urban Tiki 2005-08-08 13:41 ]

bump on an interesting thread

The straw just pokes me in the eye unless I am wearing sunglasses. I say screw the straw and bring on them cool swizzle sticks.

T.F.

On 2005-01-31 09:29, iamsjn wrote:
I once drank a scorpion WITHOUT A STRAW! Hehehe. Should have seen the stares I got!

(Wasn't feeling too good afterwards though...)

You were not feeling good, and people were staring for the same reason. When you drink out of a volcano bowl with no straw, you light your hair on fire.

Just say no to self immolation.

On 2005-01-26 14:19, Hakalugi wrote:
The faster you drink it, the sooner you get another!

AMEN!

I think the straw should be considered a garnish. And, as a garnish it should be given all of the same attention to detail as the drink it is going to reside in. And, there is no reason why the straw can serve as the support structure for a really wild garnish! Take a large grape or cherry tomato and push the straw through it. Then poke the mint leaves into the fruit. Cut the straw so it is just a bit taller than the glass. Ta-da! Straw as garnish! Everyone is happy. And we all drink to be happy don't we?

Leave it to Chip to raise the Mixology bar for all of us. I completely agree with taking it up a notch.

Personally, I prefer my mai-tai without a straw. But I always serve them with one (Regular diameter, appropriately trimmed to the correct height, about an inch and a half fromt he top of the glass). Why? Because enjoyment of the drink is all about preference, and if my guests don't want to use it, then it's their choice, but the choice is there. If I went to TVs and mine came with straw, I would admire the color and aroma, then promptly remove the straw and sip.

Is this correct? Well yes and no. It's like Scotch. Some of the best, most impressive offerings would be completely lost on me because I don't have the pallate for it. But I do know what I enjoy. So if the palate of the person we serve to likes or doesn't like a straw, then the drink will inherently taste better to them when they drink it their way. And pleasing our guests is what the whole point of it is anyway, right?

On 2006-04-21 07:57, Chip and Andy wrote:
And, there is no reason why the straw can serve as the support structure for a really wild garnish! Take a large grape or cherry tomato and push the straw through it. Then poke the mint leaves into the fruit. Cut the straw so it is just a bit taller than the glass. Ta-da! Straw as garnish!

You mean like this?

Of course those are cherries, not tomatoes. I tried tomatoes, but they just don't jive with the mai tai. And the fried green tomatoes in the volcano bowl were a total disaster.

Ahu

I never use straws with anything.

Even in restaurants, I take all the straws out of the glasses given to me.

On 2006-04-21 20:11, DJ HawaiianShirt wrote:
I never use straws with anything.

Even with bowl drinks?

On 2006-04-21 21:02, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2006-04-21 20:11, DJ HawaiianShirt wrote:
I never use straws with anything.

Even with bowl drinks?

I have to see you with a bowl drink. If you are coming to Hukilau, I so have to get you a Mystery Bowl and watch you take it down sans-straw!

I'm only 21. I've never had a bowl drink. :cry:

[ Edited by: Chip and Andy 2009-06-05 17:56 ]

A few little tricks that might help:

Rub the edge of the glass with the mint leaves that are too large for garnishes on the rim of the glass just before service. Fold it up a little to bruise the cell structure and release the oils. This will increase the aromatic effect of adding it directly to the drink without dilution and the benefits of bruising without the unsightly effects thereof. This could also be done with a straw I suppose for the same effect.

Any leftover mint can be dried crushed fine and mixed with sugar for rimming glasses, or mixed with water in a blender to a very loose infusion and frozen in ice cube trays for any number of uses. The mint won't oxidize and stays tasting fresh as the day you picked/ bought it.

I generally serve all my drinks with straws. The recipients may do what they will with them . . . use them or not . . . their choice.

I like to use short straws in my Mai Tais as i have sensitive teeths.With short straws i can enjoy the mint still.

bump up an old thread again..:wink:

okay so I made a mai tai with a straw and for fun :wink: I made another without a straw..
The straws have it!! as long as you give your mai tai a stir every minute or so..:o It, to me tastes much better With... without the straw, the crushed ice dilutes the flavor of the drink once in your mouth and well....
You must use a short 5" straw though to get the mint up your nose..okay.. time for another!

Aloha

I drink whatever is given to me. Straw or no straw i'll still find my mouth.

Straw for sure, lipstick stays on longer!!!!..... :)