Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser

Leading international writers on beer and whisky have joined together in a unique project to celebrate the enduring legacy of celebrated drinks writer Michael Jackson (65), who died in August 2007 having suffered from Parkinson s disease for over a decade. They have each donated a piece of new writing to Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser, launched on March 27, 2009 to mark Jackson s birth date. All proceeds from the publication, which was supported by leading single malt whisky The Glenlivet, will be donated to the Parkinson s Disease Society of the UK.

Editor Ian Buxton, who conceived the project, said Michael Jackson dominated the world of both beer and whisky writing for two decades and was hugely influential in both real ale and single malt whisky. A complete generation of writers has cause to be grateful to him, not to mention countless brewers and distillers. This new book honours that legacy.

He concludes: If variety is what you celebrate in your choice of whisky or beer, then this is truly a joyous and eclectic celebration of a life well-lived. We have sought to honour Michael with words, fresh and new writing on beer and whisky that he would have enjoyed reading; that he would have respected; that he might even have wished to have written himself.

The collaborators represent a roll of honor from drinks writing: (in alphabetical order) Stephen Beaumont, Dave Broom, Ian Buxton, John Hansell, Julie Johnson, Charles MacLean, Hans Offringa, F Paul Pacult, Roger Protz, Lucy Saunders, Conrad Seidl, Carolyn Smagalski and Gavin D Smith.