Joe Sixpack | Last call: We remember Michael Jackson

THE DEATH last week of British beer writer Michael Jackson has prompted an outpouring of grief and remembrance throughout the beer world. Brewers, importers, beer drinkers and fellow writers have been sharing memories on the Internet and tears over raised pints of ale.

Philadelphia, in particular, lost a great friend when Jackson, who had Parkinson's disease, died of a heart attack Aug. 30 at age 65 in his London home. Jackson's annual tutored tasting at the University of Pennsylvania Museum was always sold out, drawing more than 1,000 people.

Known as the Beer Hunter, he traveled here frequently, calling Philly one of his favorite destinations because of its beer diversity and long brewing traditions.

Here are a few of our town's memories.

_ Rosemarie Certo, owner, Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant. Jackson's "Ultimate Beer" (DK Publishing, 1998), a colorful look at 500 classic brews, included three different Dock Street styles.

"The last few years that I would see him, I would say to Jeff [Ware, her husband and business partner] that I don't think we're going to have him long. The Parkinson's really took its toll. But it was such a special moment to see him at the museum last year. . . .

"People call him a beer critic, but I don't think that's what Michael was about. I don't think he was the influencer. He was the first person to recognize the cultural significance of what we beermakers were doing. . . . He had a broader vision. He saw cultural events. He reported on them. He understood how they work. He was a brilliant person."

_ Tom Peters, owner, Monk's Café. Jackson was the guest speaker at a lavish annual dinner that featured rare beer.

"Michael taught me how to talk about beer in a much more concise way; he created the lexicon we all use now. But when I attended his events, I learned that he wasn't really talking that much about the flavors of beer, but more about the places and people that produced them.

"So, when I drink Saison Dupont today, for example, it's not just a cloudy, murky, dry beer. It's a farmhouse brewery where they use spent grains to feed cattle that produce milk for their cheese. That's what I love about beer, and that's what Michael gave me."

_ Mark Haynie, Somers Point, N.J., beer writer. Haynie chauffeured Jackson during one weeklong visit to the Philadelphia area.

"We were driving to Heavyweight Brewing [in Ocean Township, N.J.], and when we got on I-195, he began to ask what type of people lived in the area we were going through. For someone who did not drive, he knew right where we were and the geography of the area. He took avid notes even on our personal info. We were sure all he wanted to discuss was beer, but we found out differently. His grasp of politics was keen, and he was very outspoken on his beliefs."

_ Sam Calagione, founder, Dogfish Head Brewing, Milton, Del. Jackson described Dogfish Head as "America's most extraordinary and adventurous small brewery."

"I once bought him a biography of [wine critic] Robert Parker, and I remember discussing the book with him after we had both read it. He said something like, 'The difference between him and me is that he'd rather tell a great winemaker what kind of wine he should make, and I'd rather tell a great beermaker why he should keep making the poor-selling, less mainstream beers he is already making.'

"I got to co-host Michael's final tasting event at Penn earlier this year, and that's an honor that I will never forget. We had a great time riffing back and forth about the extreme beers we had chosen together for the tasting.

"By then, Michael's Parkinson's would come in and out with severity and little warning. Even when he had his full faculties and was on point with his message and sweet digressions, he would sway as he spoke. He said that folks with Parkinson's usually either swayed or shook and that, as a jazz aficionado, he was grateful that he swayed."

Over the years, Michael and I rarely talked about beer. He was a newspaperman at heart, and when we got together, more often than not, we rhapsodized about tabloids and groused about our editors. The best I can offer is this: Read his books. Two in particular deserve a place on every beer lover's shelf:

_ "The World Guide to Beer" (Running Press, 1977). A bit dated, but this tome is an essential primer examining every aspect of brewing. "A man who doesn't care about the beer he drinks may as well not care about the bread he eats."

_ "Michael Jackson's Beer Companion" (Running Press, 1993). An examination of classic beer styles, focusing on the history and culture of the breweries that produce them. "Beer deserves to be treated as a civilized drink."

Bars and restaurants around the world are organizing a toast to Jackson at 9 p.m. Sept. 30. They'll pass the hat and donate a share of the till that night to support research into Parkinson's disease. More details will be posted at my Web site and at

http://michaeljacksonthe

beerhunter.blogspot.com. *

"Joe Sixpack" by Don Russell appears weekly in Big Fat Friday. For more on the beer scene in Philly and beyond, visit www.joesixpack.net. Send e-mail to joesixpack@phillynews.com.