Milan, Oct. 20 (Reuters): It?s vodka on the rocks at its most literal.

Forget clinking ice into your glass. The newest arrival on Milan?s vibrant bar scene serves up the whole evening on ice ? ice walls, ice tables, ice sofas, an ice bar, even ice glasses. ?It?s just like being in Lapland. Apart from the rain and taxis outside, that is,? said Daniele Gattino, a guest at the opening party.

A franchise of Sweden?s Ice Hotel, where dog sleds are more the norm than taxis, Milan?s Ice Bar was sculpted from 50 tonnes of crystal clear ice carried almost to the Mediterranean from the river Torne, 200 km north of the Arctic circle.

Built in a glass refrigerator, the Ice Bar glimmers blue as Milan?s fashion set lumber around in the padded silver ponchos which they must put on before treading into the minus five degrees centigrade chamber.

Barmen in thick boots, fleeces and fur hats serve colourful vodka cocktails in shot glasses made from fist-sized ice cubes and slide them down the smooth ice bar.

?A lot of people worry their lips are going to stick to the glass but I?ve never seen that happen,? said barmaid Mia Nilsson, who has come south from Sweden to teach the Milanese the joy of ice and flavoured vodkas.

Aperitivo evening drinks are almost a religious ritual in Milan, where trend-setters slip into their latest designer garb to sashay through sleek bars or street-side cafes.

Anyone stepping out to the Ice Bar gets a good dose of fashion reality with their vodka as the staff hand them a pair of white rubber boots.

?It?s a very dry cold but we?re limiting visits to half an hour. That?s about enough for most people,? said Alessandro Rosso, the owner of the new luxury Town House hotel which houses the Ice Bar.

?Besides, we only let 60 people in at a time so they can really enjoy the place, so we need to keep rotating,? he added.

The knee-length capes are not just protection against the cold but also look after the ice, limiting scratches from people?s clothing and stopping too much body heat escaping, which would melt the pillars and bar in weeks.

As it is, Rosso expects the bar, which took three months to build, to last a maximum six months before the ice wears thin. ?Probably in April we will remake the bar for the first time. It?s great because we can design it completely new every time, putting in new ideas and Italian style, maybe working with our top designers,? he said.

The concept is the same as the Ice Hotel, a glorified igloo which is carved from blocks of ice and packed snow every November and melts back into the river Torne every May.