Michael Jackson: The Beer Hunter
To many, the name Michael Jackson conjures up images of gloves, plastic surgery, and little boys. Let me start off by saying, we are not talking about that Michael Jackson. No, we are talking about the Beer Hunter. A great man who contributed a lot to the common man’s understanding of beer, and has helped many to expand their beer horizons. Jackson was a well respected journalist and is best known for his documentary series "The Beer Hunter". In his writing and his on screen appearances, he had a certain way of capturing your attention, and awing you with not only himself and his knowledge of beer, but also with the setting and particular beer he was telling you about. In addition to beer, Jackson also authored books and articles oh whiskey. Jackson passed away in 2007, but he still remains one of the most well known and well respected authors in the Beer World, and he certainly has influenced us here at the Beer Newb.
Jackson’s most notable work is my eyes was his “The Beer Hunter” documentary. In this series he travels the globe drinking beer, visiting breweries, and sharing his love of beer with the viewer. The understanding and interviews go much deeper than something like “Three Sheets[internal cross link]”, but if you are a fan of shows like that, then you are sure to love "The Beer Hunter".
It seems that they never released the Beer Hunter on DVD, and the VHS’s are all second hand at this point. It might take some searching to find a legitimate copy of this, but it's well worth it. The series was shown in the UK by Channel 4 and in the US by Discovery, neither of their sites seem to have anything useful about the series, truly a shame. Here is a good fan review of the series.
I happen to have a copy of "The Beer Hunter", and I just love what he says in the very beginning:
My name really is Michael Jackson, but I don't sing, and I don't drink Pepsi, I drink beer. That is what I do for a living. I travel the world sampling beers, and writing about the one's I enjoyed. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it [He then raises his glass of beer in a toast].
While the DVD is hard to find, you can still check out these fine books by Jackson:
- Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium, 6th Edition
- Ultimate Beer
- Michael Jackson's Beer Companion: The World's Great Beer Styles, Gastronomy, and Traditions (Original Version)
- Michael Jackson's Beer Companion: Revised And Updated
To learn more about Michael Jackson Check out the following:
