A bottle of icy vodka makes a dramatic bar decoration when
it's encased in a frozen layer of colorful
flowers and fruit.
Place a full bottle into a fully opened cardboard half-gallon
milk carton. Insert flowers or thinly sliced fruit
(we've used nasturtiums, lemons, and limes) around the bottle, filling one
third of the carton. Pour water into
the container, just covering the fruit and flowers. Place the carton
upright in the freezer. When the liquid is
completely frozen, add another layer of fruit and very cold
water, and freeze. Repeat, filling and freezing a
third of the carton at a time, which prevents all the fruit and flowers
from floating to the top until the water
reaches the bottle's neck. Remove from the freezer when it's time to serve
the vodka: Cut away the milk
carton with a utility knife; wrap a dinner napkin around the
bottle's base, and serve the vodka with
slices of lemon zest tied in knots.
