☆New York is too cold for me

People would think it is natural that NY is cold since the latitude is the almost same as that of Aomori Pref. in Japan, but I really feel that Manhattan is even colder. Hyde Park, where our brewery is located, is about150 km North of Manhattan, so it must be even colder. In fact, during the cold wave in February, it was -11℃ in Manhattan and -18℃ in Hyde Park. However, my impression is somehow opposite.

Indeed, there was still snow collected in the parking lot of the supermarket in front of our brewery at the beginning of April, so I guess temperature must be low. However, it is warm when we are under the sunshine on a sunny day. However, in Manhattan, the buildings are so high there are few places where the sun shines. On top of that, strong wind so-called building wind blows through the street. Physically, it feels about 5℃ when weather forecast is for 10℃.  The other day, when I left my house in Poughkeepsie, I thought, “Is a down jacket was too much?” When arrived at the Grand Central station, however, it was extremely cold and all New Yorker were also wearing down Jackets. I recommend all of you “Japanese baby-boomers” should bring thicker garments when you visit New York.

 

☆Good for me as my generation

 It’s New York after all! I just want to eat a stake in New York and visit a good restaurant know as Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn. The T-bone steak was just splendid. The fried potato with the steak was also delicious. My grandson was also there, and when I asked for medium well done, an elderly waiter at the table explained humorously. “I don’t recommend it.” “Doneness of steak is definitely good until medium.” “Trust me.” And “Think you’ve been cheated and try it.” It was neither intrusive nor ironic.

I looked around and all I saw were waiters in their 60-70’s. These old men were working with great enthusiasm. That was making good atmosphere. After all, this is a traditional long-established resultant.          

 

 ☆My happiness

 Sometimes, I have a dinner with our production members who stays here. At this moment, DASSAI Blue is not completed yet so we can only enjoy a few bottles of DASSAI brought in suitcases by members of the staff who are traveling from Japan. Therefore, what I can drink is either beer or wine. I think I drank enough beer in the past two weeks to last me a few years.

   Anyway, topic is not a beer but dinner. At first, it starts with job meetings and information exchange. I really think this is very effective. Communication while drinking which is called “Nomi-nication” is the best approach to pick up vital points that were difficult to find out during daily works.

 Eventually, such topics go to seed and turn to my history. I think to myself, “what an old man!”. However, our oldest stuffs members are 40 years old, and the rest are in there 30 and 20’s, so they do not know the old history. It was before the birth of DASSAI when DASSAI was born and touji (chief brewer) ran away and the employee started to make it by their own hand. Everyone listens to me with their serious faces since it was stories from a time they did not know before they joined Asahi Shuzo. It might have them listen to me by using one of the special rights as sponsor, but the old man who was telling the story was happy, hmmm. How nice...  I myself am very satisfied with such moment.