Four Minnesota breweries took home medals from the 2013 Great American Beer Festival, an event that was held over the weekend in Denver, drawing submissions from 745 breweries and attracting 49,000 attendees.

Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery’s “Twisted Trace” received a silver medal in the wood- and barrel-aged strong beer category. In addition to its brewpub in the 7 Corners area of downtown Minneapolis, Town Hall operates the Town Hall Tap restaurant in South Minneapolis and recently opened Town Hall Lanes, which features a bowling alley, in the Nokomis neighborhood.

Summit Brewing Company, a 27-year-old company that recently completed a $6 million expansion at its St. Paul brewery, also received a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Its True Brit IPA (India pale ale) was honored in the extra special bitter category.

Surly Brewing Company’s Pentagram beer won bronze in the wood- and barrel-aged sour beer category. Brooklyn Center-based Surly, which spearheaded the so-called “Surly bill” that paved the way for brewers’ taprooms, is now gearing up to build its $20 million “destination brewery.”

August Schell Brewing Company, which is based in New Ulm and is one of the country’s oldest breweries, received a bronze medal in the American-style amber lager category for its Schell’s Oktoberfest beer.

A total of 252 medals were doled out to the nation’s breweries in this year’s competition, which marked the 27th annual Great American Beer Festival and was hosted by the Brewers Association, a national organization that promotes and advocates on behalf of small and independent beer makers. The panel of judges comprised 201 beer experts from 11 countries, who evaluated more than 4,800 entries.

The Brewers Association describes the Great American Beer Festival as “the largest commercial beer competition in the world and a symbol of brewing excellence.”

Rock Bottom Brewery, a Tennessee-based chain that operates a brewery and restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, won the “brewpub group and brewpub group brewer of the year” award. Several of its beers also won medals.

To view the complete list of 2013 winners, click here.

Town Hall and Summit were repeat winners in this year's competition; in addition to those two Minnesota breweries, Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth took home a bronze medal last year.