Top beer expert Michael Jackson died this morning.
Jackson (pictured right in a photo taken by Päivi Kuusjärvi) dedicated more than three decades to the pursuit and documentation of the world's finest beers, and wrote many books on the subject.
He became known as the most widely-published and influential author on beer. He developed a cult television series known as "The Beer Hunter", and contributed articles to countless magazines and newspapers.
Jackson was especially well-known for his particular passion for the specialty brews of Belgium, and his bestseller The Great Beers of Belgium.
Morning Advertiser beer writer Roger Protz said: "I'm in Germany at a beer conference and when I announced he was dead people were totally shocked - he was just so well-known.
"He was the best - and always will be the best. His knowledge of beer is unsurpassable. His genius was to to be able to write simply and beautifully about beer.
"He was a very private person but I enjoyed his company - he always had a really amusing story to tell about his travels."
