RIP: Michael Jackson
 

For those who enjoy good beer and whiskey, there was no other writer who more represented these drinks and he has now left us:

http://www.realbeer.com/blog/

No! :( I have a couple of his books. Sad to hear of his passing.

Bummer. I hadn't heard that he was ill. He's had an influence in my life, despite the fact that I drank non-alcoholic beer for 17 years. RIP.

A sad loss to a lot of people here; his writing will be missed.

A Colleague And, More Important, A Friend
 

There were a lot of people in the brewing and journalism trades raising a lot of glasses in a lot of toasts last night.

MJ's passing was sad, but not really a surprise to those of us who'd seen his health decline in recent years. I know that I had a lot of good times in his company, and that I learned a lot about beer and about journalism in general from him. (And I don't think I'd ever have started dancing atop that pool table at the Falling Rock in Denver if Michael hadn't gotten up there first.)

One of Michael's many publishers, the magazine All About Beer, has posted what turns out to be his final and strangely prescient column, Did I Cheat Mort Subite? It's available on-line at:

http://www.allaboutbeer.com/

Not the king of pops!

Nope, but definitely the King of Beers!

Yes, but unfortunately I didn't have anything left in the fridge and only a hoppy IPA would have done him justice. So I opted for a flight of Bowmores to send him on his way last night, and will seek out a pint or two this afternoon at C'est What, the BeerBistro, or Volo...

Man, I was wondering what drove me to have two fingers of Oban last night. I guess I participated in a salute to his passing in a cosmic sense.

Got to participate in one of his Scotch seminars here in Austin a few years ago, which really introduced me to single malts. Very informative.

So, sorry to hear of his passing, but may he rest where the just repose and there are no sorrows or sighs, but only the best of malt beverages.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

By chance I was interviewing Dave Alexander of the Brickskeller in Washington, D.C. about that bar's 50th anniversary in early October when an e-mail with the news landed in Dave's inbox. Dave and Michael were good friends, (MJ and several friends crossed the pond to have his 60th birthday party at the Brickskeller five years ago) so Dave and I broke into some the Brick's "special" beers and toasted Michael with a 1998 bottle of Oud Beersel geuze (not my favorite Belgian style but Michael loved the stuff) and a 1983 "Royal" Thomas Hardy's Ale.

Another Loss To The World of Fine Beverages
 

As I've just posted in another thread, Alfred Peet, "the grandfather of specialty coffee" has passed away at his home in Oregon.

I'm mentioning it here because, as Michael once wrote when asked if he ever drank wine, "Whatever is argued about other pleasures, it is not necessary to be monogamous in the choice of drink."

Toast to Michael Jackson Planned
 

I thought I'd pass this information along from Michael's own beerhunter.com website about plans to raise a lot of glasses simultaneously in his memory.

So far as I know, this is a UK-only event so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if other places around the world join in as well.

###BEGIN COPY###

Friends of Michael Jackson have begun to plan a national toast to Jackson later this month.

It would be a fundraiser for the National Parkinson Foundation.

Organizers first hoped to hold the toast at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, but realized it would be hard to pull everything together by then. A toast is now tentatively set for Sept. 30.

If you know a brewpub, bar, tavern, ale house, tap house, multi-tap or similar establishment that might participate urge them to do so. Information will be posted at the Beer Hunter website when plans are finalized, participants will be able to register their site and download a poster, and drinkers will find a list of toast sites.

There are also plans for a Michael Jackson Tribute Dinner in Philadelphia in March 2008 at the Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Jackson hosted tutored tastings there for the past 18 years.

###END COPY###

This is truly a great loss. I refer to his Malt Whisky Companion and The World Guide to Whisky frequently. Out of interest, who would be considered his successor in the fields of beer and whisky respectively?

A Reminder: This Sunday evening across North America
 

As already posted above, but wanted to bring this forward...

At 9pm Sunday, September 30th a number of pubs and microbrew bistros across North America will be honouring Michael with a Group Toast. You can check the menu on this site (right-hand corner) to find a location near you:

http://michaeljacksonthebeerhunter.blogspot.com/

Proceeds from that round will go to the Parkinson's Foundation.

Just to clarify, the toast is at 9:00pm Eastern time, 6:00pm Pacific, etc.