(KRON) – Gold medals are not just for the Olympics.  Held in Denver, Colorado, the Great American Beer Festival took place this October. Many local brew facilities including two from the Bay Area, are able to say they have award-winning beer.  The competition is judged by a professional panel to identify the three beers that best represent each beer-style category.  Breweries that receive gold status mean their beer “exemplifies the specified style, displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma and appearance.” Silver is classified as an excellent beer that may vary from style parameters but still maintains close adherence to the beer style with great taste, aroma and appearance. A “fine” beer with “vary slightly from style parameters and/or have minor deviations in taste, aroma or appearance.” Oakland voted #1 Best Food City in U.S. by Condé Nast: ‘no wrong neighborhood’ The two Bay Area breweries that left with gold status are Moonlight Brewing Company in Santa Rosa and Olfactory Brewing and Blending in San Francisco.  The brew that made Olfactory a winner was its Proverbial Fork in the Mixed-Culture Brett Beer. Moonlight Brewing’s Reality Czeck-style Pilsner topped the list in the Bohemian-Style Pilsener.  Here are the Bay Area beer factories that placed silver:  21st Amendment Brewery’s El Sully in San Leandro for the American Cream Ale category  Standard Deviant Brewing’s Kolsh in the German-Style Koelsch in San Francisco   Old Caz Beer’s in Rohnert Park’s One Way beer in the American-Style India Pale Ale category  Hop Dogma Brewing Company’s Venti is Large drink in the Coffee Stout or Porter  competition in Half Moon Bay These Bay Area breweries' drinks placed bronze:  Russian River Brewing Company’s Intinction – Petite Sirah in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale in Santa Rosa Ghost Town Brewing’s Nose Goblin in the Imperial India Pale Ale in Oakland Best Day Brewing’s Kolsch in the Pale Non-Alcohol Beer in Sausalito Wondrous Brewing Company’s Wondrous Hell in the International Light Lager in Emeryville Trumer Brewery’s Trumer Pils in the German-Style Pilsener category in Berkeley California breweries were the most awarded with 71 medals. A list of all the winners is here on the Great American Beer Festival’s website.