If you're a Pittsburgh beer lover, you likely know that Penn Brewery's Kaiser Pils is golden.

But now a lot more people know it, too, as the nicely bitter brew won a gold medal at last weekend's Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

It's a big deal, in that 472 breweries entered 2,052 brews in 75 categories.

The Kaiser Pils bested 43 others to win the German-Style Pilsener category. (Taking bronze was another Pennsylvania winner, Prima Pils, from Victory Brewing Co. in Downingtown.)

Penn also won a bronze with its Oktoberfest in the Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest category, which had 15 other entries.

"It was a great experience to say the least," said a "recovering" (back at work on Monday) Andrew Rich, Penn's brewery manager, who for the first time attended the event with brewer Nick Rosich.

The medals, which they wore in Denver Saturday night and on the plane on the way home Sunday, will be displayed at the brewery.

Mr. Rich says they're working on labels so they can produce, year 'round, 12-ounce bottles of the Kaiser, which right now is available to what he describes as its "cult following" in 25-ounce bottles and on draft.

Another Pennsylvania gold-medal winner was Williamsport's Bullfrog Brewery which topped 26 others in Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer to win gold with its Beekeeper.

In French- and Belgian-Style Saison (37 entries), Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in West Chester (and Wilmington, Del.) took gold with its Saison and Philadelphia's Nodding Head Brewing Co. took silver with its Saison.

In Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale (29 Entries) gold went to Lambic de Hill from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Media (and Wilmington, Del.; Iron Hill in Newark and Wilmington took bronze with its Cassis de Hill).

In Smoke-Flavored Beer, the Rauch Bier from Sly Fox Brewing Co. in Royersford won gold over 30 other entries.

And in Rye Beer (24 entries), Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Media (and Wilmington, Del.), won gold with its Roggenbier.

Other Pennsylvania medalists:

Erie Brewing Co.'s Railbender Ale won bronze in Scottish-Style Ale (24 entries).

Harrisburg's Troegs Brewery took bronze with its Dead Reckoning in American-Style Stout (23 entries) and bronze with its Scratch #4 "The Flying Mouflan" in Barley Wine-Style Ale (55 entries).

Allentown's Allentown/Bethlehem Brew Works Bag Pipe's Scotch Ale won bronze in Strong Scotch Ale (38 entries).

Finally, Akron, Ohio's Hoppin' Frog Brewing Co. bested 43 other entries to win the gold medal among Imperial Stouts with its BORIS the Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout.

The Brewers Association says 46,000 people attended this year's "grandaddy of all U.S. beer festivals." Find the full list of winning brews -- many of which are available in this market -- and more at beertown.org.