A towering "beer-a-mid" was a pillar paying homage to the international brew available at the seventh annual State College Microbrewers and Importers Exposition Saturday.

Beer enthusiasts from State College and around the country gathered Saturday to celebrate world-renowned brews at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

"Now is the best time in the history of the world to be a beer drinker," said Jim "Beer Island" Weber of Lancaster. "We're all lucky as hell that some of the best Pilsners in the world come from Pennsylvania."

Weber and hundreds of other attendees shuffled from table to table drinking the sweet, spicy and colorful varieties of beer showcased at the festival.

Beer names ranged from the offbeat -- Tröegs and Unibroue -- to the animal-inspired -- Sly Fox, Flying Dog and Dogfish Head.

Festival co-founder Greg Somers said about 2,300 to 2,400 people attended this year's event, with nearly twice as many people showing up for the evening session than for the afternoon.

The festival included both beginner and advanced seminars, one of which was led by Paul Arnott, Unibroue's Maître brasseur (brew master) in Chambly, Quebec.

Arnott said his goal for the session was to instill some of the principle aspects of what goes into a good Belgian beer, an art he practiced for 10 years as the brew master at Chimay Trappist in Belgium, where Belgian monks still brew the beer.

"I try and expose the complexity by breaking down the recipes, brewing techniques and fermentation technology," Arnott said.

To illustrate the diversity of flavors, Arnott said he balances hops with spices such as coriander, dried orange peel and licorice root.

Because beer education and appreciation are the festival's focus, Heather Peterson, Merchant du Vin-East tri-state regional manager, explained to attendees the components of the brewery's signature Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.

"Most stouts use a chocolate malt," she said. "By using oatmeal, it counterbalances the sweetness of the chocolate -- and balance is really the key to a good beer."

Adam Weis (senior-architectural engineering) said he usually drinks beers like Guinness.

"The darker, the better," Weis said, adding that Lancaster Brewing Company's Milk Stout was his favorite at the festival because of its "rich roasted flavor."

The festival attracted both beer enthusiasts and those who enjoyed the more social aspect of the event.

"It's economically effective and I'm a beer snob," said Penn State alumnus Blair Goldberg, who was sipping a raspberry wheat beer.

First-time festival attendees Renee Egan and Taten Crawford said they enjoyed the array of beer the festival offered, but did not like the atmosphere.

"A lot of people come here because they think it's an economical way to get wasted," Crawford said.

Crawford and Egan said the event was overcrowded, adding that they would like to see better crowd control in the future.

State College resident Maureen Ferguson said because of the festival's long lines, additional seating in the room might benefit patrons.

"They could add somewhere to sit," she said. "It's almost encouraging people to drink because the only thing to do is wait in line for another drink."

She added, however, that a college town was a great place to have a festival.

"A lot of college kids start drinking at school and later on they will become connoisseurs," Ferguson said.