Take a moment today to raise a glass of your finest homebrew, preferably something Belgian-inspired, to honor a man who changed the world’s perception of beer and the course of American beer culture: Michael Jackson.

Here is what American Homebrewers Association founder and Brewers Association President Charlie Papazian had to share about Michael (as written in the forward to Michael Jackson’s Great Beers of Belgium):

“When Michael came into our lives he single-handedly changed the paradigm of beer. His quintessential The World Guide to Beer appeared in 1978 and revealed to us a world of beer made by real people with pride, history and culture. Michael cultivated a respect for beer and we were eager to learn. In the pages of his early work we discovered the fascinating, kaleidoscopic world of the great beers of Belgium. Little did we know in those early days the impact Michael would bring to American beer culture.”

For a more in-depth look at Michael Jackson’s influential career, please see this post.