Recipes & Pairings

With holiday party season in full swing, take control of dropping temps with a deep freeze all your own: the DIY ice bucket. Perfect for keeping wine bottles and bubbly refreshingly cold, this wonderful, wintry chiller is elegant and easy to make with our step-by-step guide. Decorative and practical? Now that’s cool.

What You’ll Need:
Tall, cylindrical container (we like 2-liter soda bottles, emptied and clean)
Empty wine bottle
Full wine bottle
Scissors
Water
Fruit (like cranberries, orange or lemon slices, berries)
Greenery (rosemary, small pine branches, holly leaves)

Instructions:
Cut the top off of your 2-liter bottle, leaving it short enough to show off your wine bottle, but tall enough for the ice to keep it cold.
Insert your empty wine bottle into the 2 liter bottle, and start filling the 2-liter bottle with water. Don’t fill it all the way up—you need to leave room for your decorative touches!
Arrange your various fruits and greenery in the water surrounding the wine bottle.
Place in the freezer overnight. Remove when guests arrive.
Cut away the plastic bottle and carefully remove the empty wine bottle.
To serve, insert your full newly-opened wine bottle and place in a bucket or on a large tray, as the ice will melt throughout the night.