The Work of Michael Jackson

I write to praise not the pre-teen hunter King of Pop, but the Beer Hunter, one of the great chroniclers, lovers, and rhapsodizers of beer. Author Michael Jackson, who passed away August 30, led many to an appreciation of beer beyond bubbles, blackouts, and belches. His Pocket Guide to Beer literally opened up the world for malty, hoppy exploration to the point that from the 1991 edition to the 2001 one, the book doubled to cover 2,000 beers. Sure, small brewing exploded, but historian Jackson was part of the reason. That he also wrote eloquently about another malt beverage-his book Whisky won the 2006 James Beard Foundation Award-only shows the depth of his palate