Q&A: Coleman Morris-Goodrich of New Belgium Brewing

~ Life in FoCo with Coleman Morris-Goodrick ~ 

Coleman can frequently be found hanging around Bean Cycle in Fort Collins with his wife Lesley (co-owner of Bean Cycle). Since Sadie drinks way too much coffee there every week, they bump into each other occasionally. He's a Tour de Fat Carnival Technician for New Belgium Brewing, owner of The Rusty Cog Speed Shop (where he does coffee related repair and maintenance), and an all-around cool dude. 
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The LAB: How long have you been with New Belgium? 
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Coleman: 7 years.

The LAB: Tell us about Tour de Fat - how is it different in Fort Collins and across the country?

Coleman: Ft. Collins Tour de Fat is almost twice as big as any other city on the tour. . . there are more bands, more stage acts, more volunteers. . . you get it. If you like really big crowds, this is the one for you!

The LAB: What's the best part of your job?

Coleman: The best part of my job. . . nearly every aspect of my job is pretty rad. I get paid to make art, then travel around and throw parties. If I had to pick one aspect that rules all, it would have to be my co-workers and volunteers I work with throughout the country.  
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The LAB: What are your thoughts on the differences between the beer industry and the coffee industry? 

Coleman: Coffee and beer. . . they are more the same than different. There are folks who drink only great beer or coffee, there are folks who only drink shit beer and coffee. Some breweries brew beer that is awesome, others make me wonder how much longer they'll be in business. Some coffee shops blend in, some stand out. . . both industries have humble over achievers and snobbish idiots.

The LAB: Best story from Tour de Fat? 

Coleman: There are many stories, good kids like me don't kiss and tell. One that is more on the PG side goes like this. . . walking down an alley in Chicago with some co-workers. I hear a thud and some rustling behind me, Pete has accidentally kicked a downspout and just destroyed the end of his big toe. . . we are assessing the situation and notice a sign indicating "Rat infestation area". . . so this dude has just split his toe wide open on a rusty downspout that surely has rat excrement on it. Made it to the bar we were going to, bloodied up the bathroom, cleaned the toe. He lived, kept the toe.  

The LAB: As a coffee equipment tech, what are your thoughts on the importance of cafe equipment vs. barista skill? 

Coleman: A barista can only do so much, if they don't have a good consistent machine they can't make a good product (or at least it's much more difficult). I like La Marzocco stuff.  

The LAB: What's something not many people know about you? 

Coleman: I was in an advertisement for Tour de Fat that ran on the (back) cover of Rolling Stone.

The LAB: If your life was a movie, what would it be called? Who would star as you?

Coleman: "Greetings From The Rusty Cog" - It would document me building a motorcycle for racing at Bonneville and I'd be playing me.

The LAB: If someone was interested in learning about the tech side of coffee equipment, what would you tell them? 

Coleman: Dig in! Take stuff apart, try to fix it. . . YouTube can tell you about anything you need to know.  

The LAB: Who are your top three music artists right now? 

Coleman: Neil Young, Black Angels, Guns N' Roses​. 

The LAB: Thanks Coleman! We'll see you around town. Cheers! ​