When we first started sharing the A-Cup with event teams, brewers and race organisers across the Netherlands, we made them a simple promise. Choose a plastic-free cup, and you should not have to worry about it giving up halfway through the day.
That promise had to be tested. So we took the A-Cup out of the office and into the places where paper cups usually struggle. Whisky bars. Marathon hydration points. Youth football tournaments.
50,000+ cups supplied & tested — strong, steady and leak-free, cup after cup
Eight places the A-Cup has proven itself
De Monnik Dranken — High-Proof Spirits.
Alcohol is one of the toughest tests you can give a paper cup. It softens linings, warps walls and finds every weak spot.
🡢 What happened: Handled whisky at 61% alcohol without warping, softening or leaking.
Bijlmer Run — Mass Hydration.
Runners grabbing cups on the move across 5 km, 10 km and 21 km courses, with volunteers pouring at speed.
🡢 What happened: Fast, reliable service for thousands of runners, no collapsing under tight grips.
Next Gen Amsterdam — Multi-Sport Festival.
Six hydration stations at the Olympic Stadium, serving young athletes and visitors from morning to evening.
🡢 What happened: Steady performance across long hours and both hot and cold drinks.
KLM Open — Tournament Catering.
With our partner CrewFood BV, the A-Cup and paper cutlery went behind the scenes to volunteers, crews, players and staff. It even held its own with hot soup, not just cold drinks.
🡢 What happened: Kept back-of-house catering running cleanly at one of the country's biggest golf weeks.
Nürburgring Classic — Motorsport Hospitality.
Working with Handwerk Racing at one of Europe's most demanding motorsport venues. Outdoors, non-stop, all weather.
🡢 What happened: Held up in the pit-and-paddock rhythm, weather and all.
Jonger Oranje — Youth Football.
Talent days for young footballers aged 8 to 18, all around the Netherlands. Small hands and busy tables included.
🡢 What happened: Worked so well it grew into a season-long partnership.
ADE — Music Festival.
One of the world's biggest electronic music events. Tens of thousands of dancers, long nights and non-stop bar service across the city.
🡢 What happened: Held up through the crowd, the heat and the pace of a full ADE weekend.
Formula 1 — Hospitality.
A full race weekend at Zandvoort, serving athletes, staff and VIP hospitality areas across the paddock and grandstands.
🡢 What happened: Kept up with the pace of a Formula 1 crowd, from morning briefings to the podium celebrations.
The A-Cup Standard
Before an A-Cup goes anywhere near an event, it has to meet the standard we set for ourselves. Hold alcoholic drinks up to 45% Vol for one full hour, with:
- No deformation
- No wrinkling
- No leakage
- No separation
- Full strength and stiffness kept from first pour to last sip
The De Monnik Dranken result at 61% shows the cup happily working well above that line. It also handles hot drinks up to 85°C, so one A-Cup covers coffee, tea and soup as easily as beer, wine or champagne.
Tested Every Day, at Three Levels
The 50,000+ cups out in the field are only part of the story. Every A-Cup we make is checked long before it reaches an event.
- In the factory: 1,000 cups tested from every production lot, every day.
- In our own labs: all four Hello Straw offices run weekly tests across a full range of alcoholic drinks.
- In an accredited external lab: independent third-party reports, with official documentation available on request.
Planning an event, race, festival, or backstage setup? One cup handles every occasion. Because every event tells its own story, we can customize the A-Cup with your branding, colors, or custom message. Explore our sponsorship page to learn more. You can also read our case studies to see how others have brought their events to life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the A-Cup different from standard paper cups?
Unlike traditional paper cups that rely on plastic liners or basic single-wall cups that leak or break down with certain liquids, the A-Cup features a specialized water-based barrier and double-layered construction. This allows a single cup type to serve hot beverages, cold drinks, and high-proof alcohol without losing structural integrity or leaking.
Can the A-Cup safely hold hot drinks, soups, and high-proof alcohol?
Yes. The A-Cup is certified for thermal testing ranging from -40°C up to 95°C (handling drinks and soups up to 85°C with ease) and is validated to hold spirits and alcohol over 45% ABV without degrading the barrier.
How long can liquids sit in the A-Cup before it starts to leak or soften?
The A-Cup is built for high-volume, long-duration events. It has been real-world tested and proven leak-resistant for at least two hours, even when holding strong spirits or hot liquids, ensuring it remains sturdy throughout an event.
How does switching to the Hello Straw A-Cup benefit event organizers and caterers?
Using the Hello Straw A-Cup eliminates the need to buy and stock separate cups for hot coffee, cold soft drinks, beer, and spirits. Streamlining to a single SKU reduces inventory complexity, saves storage space on-site, speeds up service, and simplifies waste sorting and recycling post-event.
