During the last few weeks, our home has been filled with various family members visiting from out of state. With cooler-than-average weather and a bit of rain, we spent plenty of time in our favorite local restaurants. From casual lunch places to more formal venues, one trend I noticed was the use of simple wine bottles as water carafes.
Although glass bottles can be recycled in most cities, why not remove the label and call it a carafe instead? A few days ago, that's exactly what I did - and it only took about 5 minutes. Add a few slices of lemon and you're ready for summer al fresco dining!
(Image: Lauren Zerbey)


White Enamel Four-P...
i save every wine bottle that i drink. This may seem excessive, but i have a catering business and use them for carafes on all the tables. I never put lemon in them for i wont know how to easily get them out.
How do you get the lemons out?
@amandalc, good question! I think the key is to cut them in small enough pieces that come back out with a little shaking. I cut mine a little too big and might need to add some boiling water to help break them down a bit. =)
I had the same question as Amandalc. Ha ha!
We were in a great Scottish Gastropub in NYC last summer that used Scotch bottles as water carafes.... (The Macallan has a very distinctive bottle.) Cute twist on the wine bottle!
I had the same question - how do you get the lemons out?