The straw holder things I think you're talking about might be a little awkward, given the internal base (pushing that through a viscous fluid would be hard, I'd think, though the base is probably removable).

The advantage over the other suggestions you had would be the convenient sanitary selection of a single straw (i.e., their purpose in the first place!) but I think the flat-bottomed round containers (maybe the kind people put flour and sugar, etc., in?) would be perfect -- you'd just have to be careful when pulling out one of your gelstraws.