Motorcycle Girl is our easy drinking blonde ale, but do you know where the name came from?
Many of our beers at AL. Ringling Brewing Company, including Motorcycle Girl, have circus themed names. One of our owners, Carmen Vera Torres, rode her motorcycle in the Globe of Steel in the Ringling Bros. Circus.
Carmen Vera Torres & Family Ride in the Globe of Steel
Carmen is 1 of 12 siblings, including 6 brothers and 6 sisters. Her siblings are all close in age, about 1- 2 years apart.
Carmen’s family comes from motocross, so her and her siblings learned how to ride a motorcycle early. By the time each of her siblings was 5 years old, they already had their own motorcycle.
Carmen and her siblings grew up in Paraguay. When Carmen was young, she would visit her siblings who had moved to Argentina to ride their motorcycles in the circus. Once she turned 18 years old, she moved there, too.
One day, while living in Argentina, Carmen’s brother called her and said, “Hey, we need someone and want to do something different for the show. We were thinking it could be you. Would you want to ride a motorcycle in the Globe of Steel [in the United States]? Maybe you need time to think about it.” Carmen replied, “No, I don’t need to think about it, I’m going with you guys. I want it!”
So, in 2006 Carmen left her job and everything in Argentina and moved to the United States to ride in the Globe of Steel. All 6 of Carmen’s brothers and 2 sisters, including Carmen, rode their motorcycles in the Globe of Steel.
Carmen began doing practice rides in the globe as soon as she got to America. In the beginning, she was riding elephants for the circus and training in the off hours. She started practicing with 3 riders in the globe, and then it became 5 motorcyclists. One day, someone got hurt and they said, “Okay Carmen, now it’s your time. Now you have to show you can do it.” So Carmen went from riding with 5 people to riding with 7.
Carmen stopped riding in the globe in 2015 because at 3 months pregnant, her costume got too tight and they said they couldn’t make it any bigger.
Carmen at AL. Ringling Brewing Co.
When traveling on the Ringling Brothers Circus train during her motorcycle riding years, she would regularly cook empanadas for friends. Empanadas are a Paraguayan dish she likes, but couldn’t find in America. So, she made her own. Today, she brings her passion for sharing her Paraguayan food with others to AL. Ringling Brewing Company, where we offer her empanadas and other Paraguayan specialties.