NEAR WATER AND REEDS

Tomorrow afternoon ought to be interesting. A brief talk about Briggs Mixture, accompanied by wine and cheese. Plus chocolate, probably. In a warm dry brightly lit environment. Attended by forest creatures enjoying a companionable smoke. With, in another area, several rabid hell-hounds howling at a television screen while muscled shiny spandex men fight the war between good and evil, as represented by an oval shaped "ball".

That scene of barbarism will be far enough away that they should scarcely disturb us. With our wine and cheese. And chocolates. And hummus-pita-creamcheese-smoked salmon. We will feast.
All very civilized, I assure you.


BRIGGS MIXTURE -- WHEN A FELLER NEEDS A FRIEND
Lighter virginias with Burley, slight top-dressing.
Which might be Bourbon.


Briggs Mixture, like Edgeworth, dates from a kinder, gentler era. A time when having achieved the requisite two and a half children, cat, goldfish, and sleek station wagon parked in the driveway of his spacious modern suburban home, a gentleman would smoke a pipe. While reading the newspaper amid a scene of domestic harmony.

Both newspapers and domestic harmony are largely things of the past.


Although, in an imaginary world, they still exist. Next to the house where teenagers assiduously practice rock and roll in their dad's garage, and marijuana hasn't even been heard of yet.

Apparently the Sutliff duplicate of the venerable old product is quite decent.
Maybe tomorrow I can confirm that.

Many pipe smokers in the forties and fifties were accustomed to stodgy American mixtures and little else. Edgeworth, Briggs, Sir Walter Raleigh, Prince Albert, and Half & Half. Fluecured leaf, extended with air-cured, perhaps mildly spiced with fire-cured or Perique, only slightly topped.
Excepting Mixture 79, which smelled like a sailor on shore leave.


Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, I have heard, smoked Mixture 79. Their music probably reflected that. Stodgy old codgers who go up river for trout fishing expeditions also smoke smoke it. I know two such creatures.


My Dad never mentioned Mixture 79. He may have tried it, but his preferred tobacco, as may be gathered from the faint whiff adhering to his pipes, was a blend of Virginias with a little Burley, a touch of Latakia, and a whisper of Perique. I do not know what he smoked when he was with in RCAF.

When I was growing up, he'd occasionally snake a hand across the dinner table for my tin of Balkan Sobranie and load a bowl.

I never tried 'American' mixtures till I got back to The States.
Drucquer's lighter blends. High quality. Long gone.

From my teens till middle age I liked Latakia.
Now I am mostly Virginias and Perique.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to Neil's talk about Briggs. Several months ago he was very informative at one of our meetings, about Comoys and Blue Ribands, and he himself tends toward particular blends and pipe shapes which are quite nice. The winemaker may still be in Beijing, an author will probably be in attendance, several other members are retired and don't do much, the collector of Rainer Barbi pipes will probably be there. Also someone who favours W.Ø. Larsen and the Danish pipe carvers.
Readers of books, and folks with interesting knowledge sets.
Basically, a meeting of badgers and river rats.
With good quality leaf.
No! 79!

TOBACCO INDEX


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