Matt Freed, Post-Gazette John Chandler, of Yards Brewing Co in Philadelphia, hands out beer at the Pennsylvania Microbrewers' Fest Saturday. Click photo for larger image.

What: Saturday's Pennsylvania Microbrewers' Fest at Penn Brewery on the North Side.

How could it be: The 11th annual already?

Best dressed: Coraopolis' Mark Benson, who's been to every fest, wearing a T-shirt from the very first one -- June 3, 1995 -- that still looks new. "I only wear it on special occasions."

Attendance: About 2,600 over three, three-hour, $32 sessions of unlimited tasting of craft-brewed lagers and ales, chatting with brewers, plus a big feed and live music.

Number of brews: Nearly 100 different in dozens of styles.

Host toast: "It's a good time for the [craft beer] industry. [Sales are] up 7 percent while beer in general is flat." -- Penn Brewery's Tom Pastorius.

Number of other brewers: 26 from across this state and from eight others.

Who came the farthest: Otter Creek Brewing Co. from Middlebury, Vt.

Best strategy: Windgap's James White: "This beer costs $25, $30 a case. I come here every year to try really different things I haven't tried before."

Such as? Newcomer Brewery Ommegang from Cooperstown, N.Y., poured Three Philosophers Quadruple Belgian ale with cherry lambic. White: "Love it!"

Rare treat: Great Lakes Brewing's Commodore Perry India Pale Ale, not bottled nor sold but at the Cleveland pub. Yum.

Good name: Philadelphia's Nodding Head Brewery's English-style brown ale: Grog.

Out of the woods: A West Virginia Brewing Co. ale and a Weyerbacher stout made in bourbon barrels.

Heady prose: "Pilsner malt, Slovakian hops, a touch of coriander, a classic Ardennes yeast and Moon howling are used to create this strong golden ale" called Lunacy from New Jersey's Heavyweight Brewing Co.

Big trend: Big brews -- high in alcohol, hops and other ingredients -- caused a buzz. Squirrel Hill's Bilal Muhammad was head over heels for Delaware's Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA (9 percent alcohol). His buddy, Greg Heller-Labelle loved Edgar, the huge "Imperial" India pale ale (8 percent) from Williamsport's Bullfrog Brewery.

Not-even-1 p.m. quote: "I'm starting to feel the buzz." -- Greg Heller-Labelle.

"Good" trend? Organic beer. Otter Creek's Morgan Wolaver (in the "Certified Organic" T-shirt) talked about the line of Wolaver's brews made with organic malt. In 1998 they sold 2,000 barrels of the stuff. This year it'll be 8,000. "It's sustainable, no pun intended."

Also on tap was the totally organic Diabolique Belgian Golden Ale from Williamsport's Bullfrog Brewery.

Best beer: This fest is not a competition, but hundreds were judging. McMurray's Erich Dagnal warmly shook hands with Bullfrog brewer Terry Hawbaker and told him, "You have my vote for best IPA!"

Sportsmanlike conduct: Feedback like that is "great to hear. I don't know if they say that at every table. But I'll take the praise." -- one-man-show East End Brewing's one man, Scott Smith.

Beer scoop: Smith will hold a first open house at his Homewood brewery (6923 Susquehanna St.) from 2 to 6 p.m. this Saturday.

Serious beer business: At a brewers dinner Pastorius and his wife, Mary Beth, hosted between sessions, they discussed reuniting the Pennsylvania Brewers Guild for issues such as changing state law so distributors can sell beer on Sundays.

Not serious beer business: The plastic ivy tied to the heads of many of the women who bought T-shirts proclaiming themselves "Beer Goddess."

Women? Sure, there were plenty. Angel Cahill came from Dewey Beach, Del., to reunite with a friend she made at the festival last year, Erie's Kristen Sedlak. Cahill loved the Clipper City (Baltimore) raspberry wheat ale. In the spirit of the day, Sedlak said she is partial to products from Pittsburgh's Church Brew Works, not only for the beers, but also, "The people are wonderful."

Number of porta-johns: Seven. Plus a trough for men.