The phenomenon ringing out all over the land is the reach and depth of craft brewing, quantified in a top-50 listing by the Brewers Association.

On March 31, the not-for-profit trade group, representing small and independent craft brewers, released its rankings of the top 50 companies, based on volumes of beer sold in 2014.

Remarkably, the top 50 (just the tip of the industry), represent 22 states: Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin, Missouri, New York, Delaware, Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, Ohio, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont, Maryland, Utah, Rhode Island and Tennessee.

Another table on the association's website details the numbers of craft brewers in each state. California, with 381, ranks first, while Mississippi, with just four, comes last.

With about 2500 US craft breweries in total, we can safely predict tinkling throughout the land.

Yeastie Boys White Noise White Ale 330ml
★★★★
$6.39

This New Zealand brew sits at the most delicate end of the wheat ale spectrum: the palest straw colour, light body and almost subliminal citrus and malt flavours are guaranteed to shock even dedicated wheat-ale drinkers. A high level of acidity gives a pleasantly tart, dry finish to this idiosyncratic brew.

Burleigh Brewing 28 Pale Ale 330ml
★★★★
$4.40

From Burleigh Heads, Queensland, comes this delicious, deep-golden coloured pale ale. The brewer describes it as an American-style pale ale, implying truckloads of malt and hops. However, it's not like that at all but, rather, a round, richly flavoured beer with assertive but not overpowering hops bitterness.