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Andrew Moseman

If drinking fine scotch doesn't satisfy your lust for the finer things, then considering cycling with the style of a single malt. The Glenmorangie distillery of the Scottish Highlands partnered with Oregon-based wooden bike builder Renovo this year to make the peak artisanal handcrafted bicycle.

The wooden frames use some sapele wood combined with pieces from twice-used Glenmorangie casks. Master distiller Bill Lumsden says he employs a lot of used bourbon casks, because scotch makers don't prefer virgin oak. But two run-throughs is about all he can get out of the casks when it comes to making Glenmorangie's original single malt.

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Andrew Moseman

Some old casks go to Glenmorangie's sister scotch distillery, Ardbeg. The distillery wanted to find new and clever ways to reuse more of the wood, and so the "Beyond the Cask" series was born. Last year old casks went into making sunglasses. This year, limited-edition bicycles. It takes about two casks for Renovo to get enough good wood for a bike frame.

I rode around Central Park on one of these beauties, and it was a surprisingly light and nimble 18 lbs. for bike made out of wood. The frame is covered in lots of nice little touches, including the bike number and the Glenmorangie badge. Renovo is making only 50 of them at $6,950 apiece, though, so good luck if you want to get your scotch-loving hands on one.

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Andrew Moseman

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Andrew Moseman

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Andrew Moseman

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Andrew Moseman
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Andrew's from Nebraska. His work has also appeared in Discover, The Awl, Scientific American, Mental Floss, Playboy, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn with two cats and a snake.