Orange crush

There is a lot of talk in the local craft beer world about bergamot. Not to be confused with Monarda fistulosa, the wild mint plant often seen locally, this is Citrus bergamia, a fruit often found in Italy.

The orange accent has been turning up in everything from IPAs to saisons. “Bergamot is one of those beautiful aromas, and after a first smell you just can’t stop smelling it. It’s sweeter than [other] citrus, with more layers,” says Alex Wenzel of Lion’s Tail Brewing in Neenah, who used it to make a spring saison.

Bergamot can be added to beer like orange zest (fresh or dried peel); however, much of the excitement is about a new hop varietal, also called Bergamot, that lends an intense orange aroma and flavor. Those hops blend very well with juicy-tropical IPAs like a new release from Vintage Brewing simply called Bergamot IPA. It’s part of Vintage’s Hop S’Mitten series of single-hop beers ($6.50/glass, $10.50/crowler) and features assertive orange character....