Ladies and Gentlemen, What You've All Been Waiting For!

This, dear readers, is a Sherbet Fountain. It took me a while to open it because I was afraid of it, and I couldn't figure out how to eat it. Perhaps there's a reader from the UK who can tell me if I did it right or wrong, because I still have no idea.
First, the presentation is a little strange because the licorice "straw" actually hangs outside the cardboard tube package. That seems mighty unsanitary to me.
When you open it, there's a bunch of white powder inside. So there's the question: do you lick the licorice and dip it into the sherbet? Are you supposed to add water? (I eventually did and it turned into a fizzy, soggy mess, so I can't imagine that was the right thing to do.) The powder itself is pretty good-- fruity/creamy like sherbet with an acidy fizz, like the center of a Zotz. Surprisingly, the licorice taste goes well with it.
Has anyone else ever tried one of these? Please share your thoughts!