From ancient times, man has used drinking straws. Here’s the history of the drinking straw, dating back to Sumeria.

The modern drinking straw, made of paper, debuted in 1888, ultimately coated in wax so it would hold up longer before getting mushy. But mushy it did get, losing its shape when saturated with liquid.

The use of plastic straws became popular following World War II and now, Americans use millions of plastic straws each day.
 
 
THE CRISIS OF DISPOSABLE PLASTICS

Plastic drinking straws are among the top 10 contributors to marine debris pollution [source].

According to statistics, the average person uses 1.6 straws per day. Plastic straws are among the top 10 items collected every year during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.

Plastics are cluttering the world’s oceans, seriously harming wildlife.

These plastics are not biodegrade, but break down into smaller microplastics that have made their way into our food chain via the seafood we eat.

Amazingly, these microplastics have been found in the Mariana Trench, the deepest ocean trench in the world (some 7 miles deep).
 
 
THE MOVEMENT TO END PLASTIC STRAWS

In 2014, Ocean Conservancy launched its Skip the Straw Campaign.

Tens of thousands of people pledged to request their beverages without straws.

The movement has grown slowly, but finally, there’s momentum.

Coalitions of restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, event venues and other organizations are committing to eliminate single-use plastic straws. Thousands of restaurants across the country have now either gone strawless or switched to sustainable alternatives*.

[1] Our favorite paper drinking straw, compostable and biodegradable (photo © World Centric).

[2] These straws really hold up. We used one straw for three different drinks, letting it dry between uses (photo © Pacific Green Products).

Some purchased metal or durable plastic reusable straws to carry with them.

Truth to tell, though, most people don’t want to carry and clean a reusable straw.
 
 
GREAT PAPER STRAWS ARE HERE!

So finally, industry has created the better paper straw—one does not collapse with wetness before the drink is finished, and is fully biodegradable.

We’ve tried different brands, and the one we like best is from World Centric.

These straws really hold up. We used one straw for three different drinks, letting it dry between uses.

They’re available in 8″ and 10″ sizes.

Get them here.
 
 
ABOUT WORLD CENTRIC

World Centric was founded in 2004 to raise awareness of large-scale humanitarian and environmental issues.

Our pursuit of better living has severely degrading the planet’s ecosystems.

The organization also focuses on humanitarian issues, noting that 2.5 billion people live on less than $2/day, without access to basic necessities such as adequate food, water, healthcare, education, housing, sanitation etc.

In order to be a self-sustaining organization, without requesting donations or grants, World Centric began selling Fair Trade products and compostable products in the beginning of 2005. Here’s more about World Centric.
________________

*The European Union has banned straws and other single-use items.

[1] Lover’s Leap, a blend of superior black teas with rose and chamomile petals, is available in both loose tea and tea bags (both photos © Steven Smith Teamaker).

[2] Lover’s Leap Tea, nicely boxed.

Lover’s Leap Tea is a limited edition for Valentine’s Day, created by our favorite tea emporium, Steven Smith Teamaker.

It’s a mix of medium-bodied black teas, with pink rose petals and chamomile flowers (photo #1).

A delicate, fragrant marriage of high-grown Ceylon* tea from the Lover’s Leap tea estate, the flavors are complicated and delicious—just like love.

For dieters, love means only 2 calories per cup of tea.

The late Steve Smith crafted the blend himself. It is sold, handsomely packaged, in your choice of loose tea or tea bags.

Get your Lover’s Leap tea here, and see more of Steven Smith’s wonderful teas.
 
 
WHY IS IT CALLED LOVER’S LEAP?

The most famous tea garden in the Sri Lankan district of Nuwara Eliya, the Lover’s Leap estate was named after star-crossed lovers who lived there long ago.

As legend has it, the two young lovers began a forbidden affair. Knowing that they could not be together, they leapt from the waterfall surrounding the estate to express their undying love.

Look at it this way: Lover’s Leap Tea means undying love.
 
 
A Year Of Tea Party Ideas

Brewing The Perfect Cup Of Tea

Glossary Of Tea Terms

History Of Tea

Pairing Tea With Food

Tea Facts

________________

*The colonial name for Sri Lanka.

If you don’t have romantic plans for Valentine’s Day, how about inviting friends for cocktails?

You can set up a bar buffet with pitchers of three or four red or rosy cocktails:

 
Other options:

 
 
THE BUBBLY OPTION

Sparkling wine is perhaps the most festive way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In fact, to keep things simple, you can simply serve sparkling wine.

You don’t have to spring for champagne. Here are much more affordable sparkling wines.

Below:

> How to have a Kir party.

> Kir and Kir Royale recipes.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 50+ cocktail holidays.

> The year’s 22+ white wine holidays.

> The year’s 7 liqueur holidays.
 
 
HAVE A KIR PARTY

Want a theme? Have a Kir (pronounced KEER) party.

The drink was named after Félix Kir, a mayor of the city of Dijon in Burgundy (the same city of mustard fame).

As an apéritif, he added a splash of crème de cassis, a liqueur specialty of Burgundy, to aligote, a local still white wine.

The “Kir,” as it was known, became very popular and led to a the Kir Royale, substituting Champagne for the still wine*.

Your menu can include:

 
For an easy party, set out still white wine, sparkling wine, and two or more liqueurs.

Add your favorite nibbles, including some Valentine chocolate.

It’s a DIY Kir Valentine Party!
 
 
RECIPE: KIR OR KIR ROYALE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. ADD 1 tablespoon or more of liqueur to each wine glass or champagne flute. The less liqueur, the drier the drink; the more liqueur, the sweeter and fruitier the drink.

[1] Kir: dry white wine with crème de cassis, blackcurrant liqueur (photo © Stuart Webster | Wikipedia).

[2] For a Kir Royale, switch still wine for bubbly (photo © Ocean Spray).

[3] Creme de cassis, a liqueur made of blackcurrants (photo © DeKuyper).

[4] Blackcurrants (photo © Currant C).

*There are many variations of Kir and Kir Royale using different liqueurs. Take a look.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.