Methods

For the dough

1. Combine the flour, granulated white sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Using your fingers, rub the cubes of butter into the flour until the butter is the size of chickpeas. 
2. Add the vodka and 3 tablespoons ice water to the flour-butter mixture and gently stir until a very shaggy dough starts to form. Squeeze the dough together to form a ball. (If the dough seems dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together.) 
3. Place the dough ball on a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and then place another piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on top and roll the dough into a 10-inch round. Remove the top piece of parchment and fold the dough in half lengthwise and then in half again crosswise (this is creating lots of flaky layers!). Form the dough back into a disk, wrap completely, and chill for 1 hour.

For assembly and filling

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12" round (about ⅛" thick), and transfer to a 9" pie plate. Trim the dough so there is about 1" overhang, then fold the overhand under to create the crust, and crimp using your fingers or a fork. Prick the bottle of the pie crust with a fork a few times, line with aluminum foil and weigh down with pie weights (or rice or dried beans), and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until light golden, 12 to 16 minutes more.
3. While the pie crust is blind baking, make the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
4. Reduce the oven to 325°F. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, pour the filling into the blind-baked crust, and bake until the outside is set and the center is set but still pretty wobbly (we're talking about 3½-inch diameter of jiggle), 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove or next to it for a couple hours (the gradual shift in temperature will help reduce crackage). Once the pie reaches room temperature, cover, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely. (For best results, chill overnight.)
5. To serve, remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream and chopped pistachios or pecans, if desired.