From the Beverage Aisle: Pinch N' Sip Straws

Product: Pinch N' Sip
Company: Kraft
Years: 1974 - 1980's (?)

People realized a long time ago that milk, in it's natural, white, flavorless state is boring. So boring, in fact, that people came up with ways to turn that boring glass of milk into a tasty exciting explosion of flavor. Quite simple, actually: Add sugar. Thus was born our flavored drink mixes which you would spoon or squeeze into the glass of milk and then stir with a spoon to mix (remember Milk Mate?).

Then one day a man (or woman) realized that the 5 components to a tasty glass of flavored milk are: Milk (duh), the flavoring, a cup, a spoon to mix it, and a straw to drink it. They thought long and hard about it and came to the conclusion that only 4 items are really needed: the milk, flavoring, cup and straw. Because really, mixing the flavoring into the milk with a spoon was SO 1930's............why not let the milk get it's flavor....are you ready for this............directly from the straw. BOOM.

The idea has been around since the 50's with such products as Flav R Straws and Dip n' Sip, and then in the early 70's Kraft said "We want money" and rolled out their own line, called Pinch N' Sip.  They came in Chocolate and Strawberry flavors and stuck around for a few years before being beaten back by members of the Nesquik Flavor Union Local 322 and the National Federation for Spoon Mixed Milk Flavorings (NFSMMF), which I completely just made up. Don't believe everything you read on the internet kids! That Bieber kid? Not Real!

But seriously, the Kraft Pinch N' Sip straws were real. Over the years, there have been dozens of similar products that tried to fill that niche market for the spoonless. In fact, I just saw some the other day when I was shopping. I could have bought some for my kids, but we already have Hershey's Syrup in the fridge and a drawer full of spoons at home.

Wow, I'm a mean dad.

And unlike the Kraft Pinch N' Sip, I'm going to be around for a while, so they're just gonna have to deal with it.

Anyone remember drinking these back in the 70's? Anyone?

Tell us about it!