Container straw, beverage kit, method for preparing the beverage kit, and method of using the beverage kit

A container straw for containing swellable food items and consuming beverages made with the swellable food items in swollen form, comprising:

• a transparent or translucent tube made of a food grade material that extends along an axis between first and second ends, the first end terminating at a first end face that is disposed in a first plane generally perpendicular to the axis, the second end either i) being beveled and terminating at a second end face that is disposed in a second plane that is not perpendicular to the axis, wherein an angle, α, formed by the axis and the second plane of the second end face of the second end is within a range of 15-75° or ii) terminating at the second end face that is disposed in a third plane generally perpendicular to the axis;
• a first end cap removably sealing the first end of the tube;
• and
• a second end cap removably sealing the second end of the tube;
• wherein the second end is beveled and terminating at the second end face that is disposed in the second plane that is not perpendicular to the axis, wherein the angle, α, formed by the axis and the second plane of the second end face of the second end is within a range of 15-75°,
• wherein the second end cap comprises a solid or hollow cylindrical core portion and an annular collar portion, each of which extends along the axis, is made of an elastomeric material, and is contiguous with one another,
• wherein:
• the core portion of the second end cap is at least partially disposed within the tube at the second end thereof,
• the collar portion of the second end cap has an exteriorly-facing end and an interiorly-facing end,
• the interiorly-facing end of the second end cap is beveled and terminates in an end face that is disposed in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis,
• an angle, β, that is formed by the axis and the plane in which the end face of the interiorly-facing end of the second end cap is disposed is within a range of 105-165°, and
• α+β is equal to about 180° so that the end face of the interiorly-facing end of the second end cap and the end face of the second end of the tube face one another in complimentary fashion.