Michigan Winners from the 2014 Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival is the premier U.S. beer festival and competition. It takes place every October in Denver, Colorado.

Here's how Michigan brews fared in the competition.

Breweries enter their beers to be judged by the festival’s Professional Judge Panel. The Professional Judge Panel awards gold, silver or bronze medals that are recognized around the world as symbols of brewing excellence.

These awards are among the most coveted in the industry and heralded by the winning brewers in their national advertising.

The following Michigan Breweries earned these honors:

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year: Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak

Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale:  Bronze Medal to Rainmaker Ale, Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort

Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale: Silver Medal to Thor's Hammer, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak

Experimental Beer: Gold Medal to Key Lime Pie, Short's Brewing Co., Bellaire

Robust Porter: Silver Medal to: Porter, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids and BronzeMedal to: Peck's Porter, Tapistry Brewing Co., Bridgman

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer: Silver Medal to Private Stock #472, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak