Losing the straw vote

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A presidential controversy has erupted in Rhode Island.

Democratic candidate Andrew Yang did something blasphemous.

He tweeted his love of Del’s Lemonade — but there’s a problem.

He posted a photo of a Del’s cup with an unfortunate accessory.

A straw.

Purists know you don’t drink Del’s with a straw.

A political storm blew up, at least on Yang’s Twitter feed.

"Careful, Andrew," commented WPRI’s Ted Nesi. "That straw could deliver RI's electoral votes to Trump."

"Get that straw out of there immediately," wrote educator Brigid Newman.

As with many faux-pas scandals, Yang meant well.

His caption: "Love @DelsLemonade in the summer."

But that straw.

It drew over 150 comments, most of them shocked at the sacrilege.

A sampling: "You’re a sinner," "Oh heck no," "Rookie move," and "What are you thinking?"

Mike Stanton, former Journal reporter and author of "The Prince of Providence," weighed in with: "Presidential candidate loses Rhode Island."

Yang, 44, son of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in Schenectady, made it big as an entrepreneur, and a key campaign plank is his warning that robots will decimate U.S. jobs if we don’t prepare. He’s holding his own — one of only 10 Dems to qualify for the next debate.

I couldn’t get through to his campaign, clearly a sign they’ve left the trail and run for cover until this blows over.

But I found why Del’s is on his radar.

Yang went to Brown. He also spent some summers here with his "Venture for America" program for young entrepreneurs — it had a Providence "training camp."

"My wife fell in love with the state," Yang once said, "as soon as she realized that no matter where you stand in Rhode Island, there’s a beach no more than 45 minutes away."

But his roots here mean he should know better.

Then again — I began to wonder; is the no-straw thing just cultural, or official?

To get the answer, I called Del’s headquarters on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, reaching their vice president of R&D. Yes, Del’s has one.

He’s been at Del’s 32 years.

He did not mince words.

"We avoid and we do not recommend any straw uses at any time," he told me.

His scientific explanation: "The way we recommend drinking Del’s is to grasp with the palm of your hand the paper cup and from the warmth of the palm that transfers thru the cup, the frozen lemonade is slowly melting and can be easier drinkable that way."

Straws can actually detract from the experience.

"When you drink with a straw," he said, "what you get in the beginning is all the liquid from the cup and by drinking the liquid what do you have left — simply particles of ice. That cannot go through the straw sometimes, and you don’t have a good lemony taste anymore."

I also reached out to Michael Sabitoni, Johnson & Wales department chair of food and beverage management.

As a native, Sabitoni treats one’s approach to Del’s in the same league as wine or brandy — there’s a way to imbibe.

And a straw isn’t it.

Just as one swirls brandy to get the full experience, a Del’s cup must be lifted directly to the mouth.

"It’s the way it touches your tongue, and freezes your lip," said Sabitoni. "Definitely, there’s no way you introduce Del’s lemonade to your palate by a straw."

To assess the political damage, I called Wendy Schiller, Brown’s political science chair.

She agreed this was a big faux pas in Rhode Island, which is particular about native food and drink.

She added advice for all candidates: running for president isn’t just a national pursuit — you need to resonate in each very different state by knowing local customs.

"It was a genuine attempt to portray himself as a regular guy," said Schiller, "but it backfired."

Still, Yang did get a few nods on Twitter for bringing the state into presidential politics.

"Rhode Island represent!!" commented GregChamp.

But next time you’re here, Mr. Yang, take the advice of the other 150-plus commenters.

Lose the straw.

Mark Patinkin’s columns run Sundays and Wednesdays

mpatinki@providencejournal.com

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