No, you are not damned both ways. You still have a foot that can remove the bottle if in the way. Also, if you slow down and drive into the side, you are of course not making an abrupt stop in the middle of the road. You slow down and at the same time driving out on the shoulder. It´s nothing judgemental, no hindsight and no need to be an expert. The only thing you need is to be an experienced and composed driver making the right decisions. And no, we do not get the right to call something that might pose a deadly risk for others a mistake.
But, all of that is of course only my opinion, and based on my experience driving cars and riding motorbikes for over 37 years without any accidents. Anyone with that kind of track record, are of course welcome to oppose.