Jackson, Michael

Michael Jackson (1942–2007) was born in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England, to parents of Lithuanian Jewish descent. (His father changed his surname from Jakowitz to Jackson on the family’s arrival in the United Kingdom.) Jackson began his career as a journalist in Edinburgh covering the local pub scene. His style and enthusiasm gained him a reputation as a journalist who understood and appreciated the nuances of pub culture as well as the beers and ales brewed in traditional ways.

Eventually he ended up in London working on an advertising trade journal. His reputation for his knowledge of beer did not go unnoticed. He was approached in 1997 by an editor with the idea that incorporated his knowledge of beer with the growing popularity in the United Kingdom of small breweries that handcrafted beer. The resulting book was the first edition of The World Guide to Beer. This book has become a seminal guide to the “beer styles” now commonly accepted by brewers and beer enthusiasts worldwide. More important, it became particularly popular in the United States with the growth of the microbrew industry. At the same time, in the United Kingdom, there was a growing grassroots support for small brewers and the handcrafted beers they made. The organization was called the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).