TCA Salutes The Beer Hunter

Extracted from: Writer who championed beer culture in the pantheon of civilised tastes

A foe to the carelessly expressed notion, “I fancy a beer.” He constantly argued his favourite thesis that, as no one would simply say to a waiter in a restaurant, brasserie, trattoria or kneipe: “I fancy some food,” without stipulating what they wanted, so it was a nonsense to be so uncurious about the rich variety of beguiling fluids that the endlessly inventive beer cultures of the world were striving with every nerve to produce for human enjoyment.

His first book The English Pub (1976) was followed by the World Guide to Beer (1977). The Great Beers of Belgium was published in 1991 and Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion appeared in the same year. Meanwhile, his fondness for Scotland had given rise to the bestselling Malt Whisky Companion (1989). It was followed by Scotland and its Whiskies (2001) and Whisky (2005).

The TCA pays tribute to a man who recognised "the threat posed to many a fine English ale and stout from a developing taste among beer drinkers for the “safe” but insipid steel-keg productions of a new race of brewers".

Michael Jackson was born on March 27, 1942. He died of a heart attack on August 30, 2007, aged 65.