M any years ago I was camping with some friends, and after paddling a river all day, it was time to relax and have a cool drink before dinner. For some reason, I didn't have my trusty camp mug handy, so I made myself a drink in my bike's water bottle. I crammed in some ice, poured in a liberal libation of brandy, and added some carbonated water.

The next bike ride I took was a canoe shuttle over some bad roads on a hot day. Naturally, I needed a drink from my water bottle, and it was then that I discovered that the water therein tasted not of plastic but of the brandy I had consumed the night before. No doubt I hadn't cleaned out the bottle well before refilling. I was pleased to discover, however, that the oddly pleasant tast of the brandy stayed in the bottle for months after this trip.