Michael Jackson, who died on 30 August 2007 aged 65, was a British journalist whose passion for writing and talking about beer earned him the nickname ‘the Beer Hunter.’

One of the first to write about beer as one of the world’s great alcoholic drinks rather than purely a refreshing tipple, his knowledge of world beers allowed him to become a foremost authority on the subject.

In particular he has been credited with putting Belgian beers on the map and published a number of books about it including ‘The Great Beers of Belgium’.

Mr Jackson became a household name by presenting the Channel 4 series “The Beer Hunter” in 1990 in which he travelled the world in search of great beers.

Michael Jackson was born on 27 March 1942, in Yorkshire. As a child, his families’ Lithuanian heritage is said to have sparked his interest in European food and drink.

He carried this love of food and drink into adulthood and after studying at King James Grammar school soon entered the world of journalism on the Huddersfield Daily Examiner.

He later worked for a number of broadsheet newspapers including the Independent, and it was thanks to his position as a respected writer that he was able eventually to branch out into writing books.

His contribution to journalism was much understated and it was only when he changed tack to discuss the appeal of beer in the mid -1970s that the public began noticing his work.

Mr Jackson’s experience on Fleet Street led to the publication of the ‘World Guide to Beer’ in 1977. It was the first authoritative and serious study of world beer and became a success amongst publicans and beer connoisseurs across the world.

After a decade or more writing about beer, his focus switched to discussing spirits. In publishing ‘His Malt Whisky Companion’ (1989) and several other helpful guides he became equally renowned for offering sound advice about whisky.

Happy to serve the public with useful information about what you should and shouldn’t drink his interest in writing and talking about alcohol later extended to television.

Mr Jackson’s documentary series ‘The Beer Hunter’ helped educate viewers on the world’s best beers and proved a popular hit amongst UK audiences when broadcast on Channel 4.

Elected chairman of the guild of Beer Writers in Britain, he also won numerous awards over his lifetime including the Mercurius Award for services to Belgian brewing.

Mr Jackson’s catalogue of works always maintained an avid readership and articles published in the Washington Post and Playboy amongst others were further reflection of his ability as a respected and prolific journalist.

In the final years of his life Mr Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. His lifetime commitment to promoting beer and other forms of alcoholic beverage finally came to a close when he suffered a heart attack at his home in Hammersmith, west London.