Stellar Gin -- The Next Big Thing?

Somehow, I never jumped on the vodka bandwagon, but gin, now there's a real liquor. For many years, Tanqueray was the only option for many of us who wanted a higher end "premium" gin. After Tanqueray launched T-10, they also launched a spicy gin (distilled from an original recipe) called Tanqueray Malaca. it went off the market and Bombay Sapphire became my gin of choice. (We all outgrew the coolness of the 80s, ordering "T&T's" or "T-squareds" at our favorite preppy suit bars.) While I've been ordering my G&Ts with a lot of extra lime, some developers have been in the lab.

Enter Stellar, the newest gin from Brown Forman flavored with lots of extra citrus. (They call it "crush" with orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine and mandarin.) Will premium gin go the way of the high end, flavored vodka market? The makers of Stellar think it's possible and are test marketing the citrus infused gin this summer in four markets including Indianapolis. The flavored premiums have a lower alcohol content -- 40 ABV -- which accounts for the lack of "burn". This one works well with tonic and mellows out a classic martini although it works better if you like 'em dirty.

Look for Stellar at your favorite local watering hole, at any number of events this summer, or in one of the other three test markets, Detroit, Atlanta, or Phoenix.