Paradox Brewery’s excellent Pilsner - a crowd pleaser for many craft brew fans — has won an award at the 2019 US Open Beer Championship.

Paradox Pils picked up a bronze medal in the German Lager-Pilsener Lager at this prestigious competition. The brewery has picked up dozens of awards since opening its doors in 2014. The gold went to Jump – Olde Salem Brewing in Virginia and the silver to Dr. Billheimer’s Magic Pilsner, Ketch Brewing in California.

“We are beyond thrilled to win this award,” Paradox Founder Paul Mrocka told Schroon Laker.

“Our Pils is one of our most popular beers, both here at the tasting room and in our cans.”

Breweries from Russia to Rhode Island sent in more than 7,000 beers representing over 130 different styles for the 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship, held in Oxford, Ohio The competition is the only one to include beers from professional breweries and award-winning home-brewers, with judges from England, Canada and the United States.

Other upstae, central and western New York brewers also got a shout out: The Utica-based Saranac Brewery won a gold medal in the English Pale Ale category for its Saranac Pale Ale. Big Ditch Brewing, of Buffalo, won bronze for its Towpath American imperial stout and for its Excavator Brown Ale. Upstate Brewing in Elmira got silver in the New England/Juicy/Hazy DIPA for its Double.

Utica’s Woodland Farm Brewery took home silver in the American Black Ale for its Busier Than Hell and bronze in the Wood/Barrel Strong Scotch Ale category for its Rye Batch 3.

FX Matt Brewing was awarded a silver medal in the Strong/Imperial Ale category at the 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship last week for Lake Placid Ubu Ale, a local beer that the company is contracted to mass-brew and bottle.