For those who like to dress up their cocktails, but don’t want to contribute more damaging waste to the planet, these natural straws are ready for happy hour. Harvested by hand from the abundant wild carrizo (cane) fields in Oaxaca, every bunch includes six large straws for highball glasses and six short straws for old fashioned glasses, which are wrapped in a piece of corn husk and tied with cotton string.
Artisans
This pieces are made by hand by a group in Oaxaca, in order to offer a method to decrease pollution, pay a living wage to collaborators, and to ensure that the production of these straws is consistently sustainable for local cane fields.
Dimensions
Large straws are approximately 20cm – 22cm, while the short straws are approximately 14cm – 16cm long. Every bunch includes six of each size, for a total of 12 biodegradable straws.
Care
Wash the straws with soap and water, then disinfect them for 10 minutes in a solution of colloidal silver drops and water, or in a weak bleach solution (four drops of bleach per liter of water, followed by an additional rinse of clean water). They can also be boiled for 10 minutes in a solution of two tablespoons of white vinegar to one litre of water.
If you wish to prolong the life of the straws, you can bake them in a low temperature oven (200 - 225 °C) for 20-30 minutes. This toasts the straws and changes their tone to a golden brown, and ensures that the carrizo is less porous.
It’s important to allow the straws to dry completely, as this prevents the growth of mold. In case of mold, the straws can usually be rescued by boiling them in a vinegar solution, then baking them in the oven as described.
With daily use and proper care the straws can last six months or longer.
