The Road to Liquid Sunshine with Leticia Cline Roadtrip to Babes Ride Out East Coast 3
When you’re riding with us, all routes lead down the road to liquid sunshine. From coast to coast, we travel to connect with storytellers, adventure seekers, makers, and whiskey lovers. This past June, we had the pleasure of partnering with Leticia Cline for an unforgettable experience. It all began in a small town in Kentucky and concluded high in the mountains of Narrowsburg, New York for Babes Ride Out East Coast 3. Leticia Cline geared up her bike, reviewed her route, and hit the open road.
Should you be unfamiliar with Leticia, she is a journalist, motorcycle racer, Heritage Tourism Preservationist, owner of a wolfdog named Jack London and mother. She rides an average of 40,000 miles a year on her motorcycles and is one of the best storytellers we know.
Her route dubbed, “The Road to Liquid Sunshine”, traveled through six states before meeting up with our crew at Babes Ride Out aka BRO - a ladies-only weekend camping getaway celebrating motorcycle culture and the love of the outdoors in Narrowsburg, NY.
Leticia invited followers for her week-long trip as she took over the @drinkslowandlow Instagram and storied her journey.
She sought out historical treasures like The 1747 Pub at Reynold’s Tavern, Annapolis’ oldest pub and drank with Poe’s ghost in Baltimore. She toured bike shops including Ma Ossa at the Broom Factory, met the crew behind Cafe Racer XXX and enjoyed some Slow & Low with the team at Yorick And Sons Moto in Philadelphia. She headed through the Garden State and stopped to ride with BMW Motorrad where she met up with her friend and fellow moto-gal Breaking Hearts & Burning Rubber before arriving in the Catskills for Babes Ride Out.
On-site at the Babes Ride Out campground, the Slow & Low 1978 Chevy G20 provided the perfect venue to kick back and relax, catch up with old friends and make new ones while sipping on signature Slow & Low cocktails (which proved helpful when it was time to karaoke).
When we weren't hanging around bonfires or enjoying firework displays, we were with Leticia and the BRO squad cruising along stunning vistas - a truly memorable experience.
Continue reading below to learn more about Leticia and her week-long journey in our Q&A below -
Straight-Up: The Slow & Low Interview Series featuring Leticia Cline
Q: When did your predilection for whiskey begin?
A: This is gonna sound bad to some but in the south, we use whiskey for everything. Cough syrup being one. I tried it as a kid and hated it (thank god) but it wasn't until I was in college that I refined my palate. Being from Kentucky, we had a lot of bourbon and rye distilleries and I was fortunate to visit them and not only learn the process of making them but to taste the differences in how they are made. It only grew from there and when I bartended at a 5-star restaurant in New York City,I was able to put my knowledge to good use by helping others refine their palates as well. Now I feel I have it down to a science. I can size a person up to what drink would suit them best. I take pride in everything I do. Drinking whiskey at a party is cool but drinking it and knowing what you’re drinking is cooler, especially if you’re a girl. Trust me, guys dig smart classy chicks.
Q: What was your favorite stop when traveling to meet us at Babes Ride Out?
A: The ride to BRO East was amazing and also very challenging. I hit an unexpected hurricane and battled the worst rain and winds I’ve ever experienced on a motorcycle ride. Parts of the roads were washed away, I lost my phone to water damage and I had to navigate a different route by vintage means of travel (asking for directions and actually looking at a printed map). The trip was still beautiful because I got lost and found small towns I never knew existed. I stayed longer with a friend in Maryland and got to share drinks with strangers. I think the trip is half of where you go and half of who you meet along the way. As long as you’re open to new experiences then you’re guaranteed to have a great time. The start of my trip I toured a History of Whiskey museum in Bardstown, KY and that couldn’t have been more perfect for me. I found an old whiskey bottle from a distillery in my hometown that was only in operation for a year. Then I went and had a drink at the oldest bar and inn in America, The Old Talbot Inn. It’s complete with bullet holes in the walls from Jesse James himself. But I would say the best part was when I got to Maryland and my friend Sasha and I had a little too much Slow & Low and decided to take kayaks out to an island to listen to music and look at the stars. I just love how motorcycles and rye bring people together.
Q: What's your favorite way to drink Slow & Low?
A: I like it neat or with a cube of ice if it’s hot out. This summer we threw a party at the community garage I own and served it with Lemonade and black cherries and it was so delicious it was dangerous. Honestly, the taste is so smooth on its own though that not mixing it is just as good. I like that the burn of the 84 proof is masked by hits of orange. I’m not just saying this because I rode to BRO for Slow & Low, but it is seriously my favorite drink period.
Q: Who has influenced you the most - personally or professionally?
A: There are so many people who have influenced me in many ways. My friend Roland Sands has been a big influence both personally and professionally. He is successful and yet humble and funny. Over the years he has never changed who he is and I have always admired that in him. Lately, though the people in my hometown have been my biggest influence. I recently changed my entire life and built a free community motorcycle garage, Smiley's, and the results have been emotionally transformative. Where I come from we don’t have a lot and therefore the people who live there are hard workers that appreciate the simple things in life. It’s been eye-opening and put things in perspective. I watched as an entire community came together to help each other with no bias or judgment. I opened that garage to help them but in turn, they helped me. They’ve helped me be.
Q: If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
A: Oh man. Picking just one is impossible especially since I’ve lived more lives than a cat. I love rap and old school hip hop but there just aren’t any songs about chillin at home on a Friday night and saving money.
Q: In your opinion, is it better to be Slow & Low or High on Rye?
A: I have to choose?
Q: The road less traveled or the path of least resistance?
A: Less traveled always. Most of the time though it’s the “road never traveled." I like to make my own path
Looking to connect with the Slow & Low crew this year? Visit our Event Page for more information.
