Types of Drinking Straws
- A basic drinking straw is straight for the full length.
- A bendable straw or "bendy straw" (known in the industry as an "articulated straw") has a concertina-type hinge near the top for convenience. This variation was invented by Joseph Friedman in 1937.
- A "crazy straw" is hard, transparent or translucent plastic and has a number of twists and turns at the top. When liquid is sucked through the straw, it quickly flows through the winding path, creating a mildly interesting spectacle, popular with children.
- A spoon straw features a cut-away shape at one end that functions as a miniature spoon. It is intended for slush drinks. However, their original purpose was to avoid ice clogging up the submerged end of the straw. It is unclear who filed the patent for the spoon straw, but the invention has been attributed to John Wesley Groves..
- Candy straws, such as licorice straws (or lico-straws), are made from some type of chewy candy.
- A miniature straw is often attached to a drink box.
- A wide straw is used for sipping bubble tea. The larger diameter is necessary to accommodate the drink's characteristic tapioca pearls. Also for stirring.
- "Sanitary" straws are individually wrapped to avoid contamination. Straws were originally marketed as a means for people to reduce the risk of contracting an illness from improperly washed containers, glasses, or cups.
- Flavor straws are a form of drinking straw with a flavoring included, designed to make drinking milk more pleasant for children. They first marketed in the United States in 1956 as Flav-R-Straws. In recent years, newer variations of the original idea have been resurrected in forms such as Sipahhs, and Magic Milk Straws that contain hundreds of flavored pellets encased within a stiff plastic straw.
- A recent addition to the straw family is the cereal straw, such as the ones made by Kellogg's.
- Polypropylene is becoming favored over polystyrene for manufacturing plastic drinking straws as polystyrene is brittle and tends to crack easily. Polystyrene is also denser than water, causing straws to sink when placed into beverages. Polypropylene straws, by contrast, are much more durable and do not sink.
- Special "color-changer" straws given with meals at Friendly's change color as cold liquid passes through them.
- Extendo-straws come in small plastic wrappings like miniature straws, but can extend to reach the bottom of the carton.
Nicholson Baker's 1988 novel The Mezzanine includes a detailed discussion of various types of drinking straw experienced by the narrator and their relative merits.
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