Today would have been Michael Jackson’s 70th birthday. I first met Michael in the early 1990s, shortly after my beer book was published. He is all but single-handedly responsible for the culture of better beer that exists today. He began writing about good beer in the 1960s and 70s and his writing has influenced (and continues to influence) generations of homebrewers and commercial brewers, many of whom were inspired to start their own breweries by his words. There are few others, if any, that have been so doggedly persistent and passionate about spreading the word about great beer. I know some of my earliest knowledge and appreciation of beer, and especially its history and heritage, came from Michael’s writings. Michael passed away in August 2007, five years ago. I still miss him, and I suspect I’m not the only one.
I did an article last year for Beer Connoisseur, for their Innovator’s Series, entitled Michael Jackson: The King of Beer Writers, A personal look back at the man who made hunting for beer a career. I reached out to a number of people who also knew Michael for their remembrances as well as my own, and as a result I’m pretty pleased with the results (although the original draft was almost twice as long).
I’ll again be playing some jazz and having a pint of something yummy in his honor, which has become my tradition for March 27. Join me in drinking a toast to Michael Jackson, the most influential beer writer who’s ever lived.
At the Great Divide Brewing’s media party in Denver over ten years ago.
On stage accepting the first beer writing awards from the Brewers Association with Jim Cline, GM of Rogue, Stan Hieronymus, who writes Real Beer’s Beer Therapy among much else, and Ray Daniels, formerly of the Brewers Association.
At GABF in 2006, still wearing the same glasses. But my, oh my, have I changed. Sheesh.
With Carolyn Smagalski receiving an award at Pilsner Urquell.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Ditto on the early knowledge of beer coming from this guy. I still love to go back and read his stuff. By the way, it is a real shame that when you say Michael Jackson and beer in the same sentence that people still automatically think of the pervert pop singer. I’ll be drinking a beer in the real Michael Jackson’s memory. Oh yeah! I just thought of something he said one time that made me laugh. I remember him writing somewhere that he wish to publish a book that related to him having Parkinson’s disease and assuring people that he was not shaking because he was drunk, but because of the disease. What a sense of humour (note the British spelling).
Thanks, Jay. I’ll definitely bust out something nice tonight. It will be silky, complex, piquant, and joyful–just like his prose.
Had the rare pleasure to be Michael’s guide in Chicago in 2005 when we kicked off the Herold Brewery’s beer there. I was associated through his Rare Beer Club. That night at the hotel, he asked if I would like to see something special. We met at the bar for a scotch, and he had in his hands the first hardbound copy of his new whisky book. You’d have thought it was the first thing he’d ever published. Pulling out something very special tonight for sure.
Great write up, we’ll spread the word and encourage people to raise a pint today in his honor! Will you be at the World Beer Cup?
Yes, I’ll be judging at the World Beer Cup again this year.
Thanks for the reminder Jay. Michael was the main reason that we have the depth of beers that we now have available to us here in America. He was truly a pioneer in the beer world. In 1996 I picked him up at the Algonquin Hotel in NY so that he could visit my new brewery (Climax) before I drove him down to a dinner that he was giving at the Rathskeller in DC. What a great ride, we talked for hours as he imparted his wisdom to me. He is surely missed. Tonight I will drink something special in his honor. Cheers!
We toast him all the time when we drink great beer & great whiskey! He was an incredible raconteur who more than accomplished his missions to educate the public about beer & whiskey! His “Beer Hunter” series will live forever – too bad he didn’t live long enough to do the same with whiskey.
{ 1 trackback }