Firestone Walker has moved a step closer to retiring the “Brewer of the Year” trophy for mid-sized companies in the craft beer segment.

The Paso Robles-based maker of popular brands such as “805” took home “Mid-Sized Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year” honors for the fourth time in less than a decade at the Great American Beer Festival.

The festival, held in Denver, attracted tens of thousands of visitors, nearly outdrawing the hapless Colorado Rockies in their sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In this year’s festival, Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils and DBA earned gold medals for the third time. Hammersmith IPA won a bronze medal and two other brands won medals. In addition to four Company of the Year wins at the Great American Beer Festival, Firestone Walker has won top honors at the past three European Beer Star competitions.

Firestone Walker is the 16^th largest craft brewer in the U.S. In July, the company announced that Duvel Moortgat, a 144-year-old, fourth generation family-owned Belgian brewer, had made a substantial equity investment in the company. Industry sources said the investment could be as much as $100 million.

• Contact Henry Dubroff at hdubroff@pacbiztimes.com