Should you order stir sticks or skinny cocktail straws? Short or tall? Good questions. Things to consider: You cannot sip from a stir stick. When you order stir sticks, you get about 90% stir sticks, with an occassional straw thrown in. You can sip from a cocktail straw. When you order straws, that's what you get. Straws cost a little bit more, because we have to hand sort them. Straws are not intended for thick liquids, but can be used for both hot and cold thin liquids. From my forty years of bartending experience, I can tell you this: For 90% of customers, a stir stick works fine in short drinks. Maybe one in ten folks actually sip their short drinks through a short straw. Tall drinks, maybe twenty percent of people sip through a tall straw. If I was ordering, I would order five boxes of 5" stir sticks and one box of tall straws, to meet ocassional customer requests, for starters. (We offer the starter package in the shop.) You know what's cool? The 5" stir sticks work fine for tall drinks, because they are slightly bouyant, so they do not sink like plastic straws. So, you can use 5" stir sticks for all of your drinks, and tall straws upon request. Neither stir sticks nor straws are intended for consumption. Do not eat, and do not let tiny tots play with them. Thanks! Any questions? Feel free to call me from 9 am to 5 pm EST. (716) 947-9298 Marty