Baltimore Spirits Co. Shot Tower: Skeleton Spirit Gin
Baltimore Spirits Co. · Baltimore Spirits Company
Shot Tower Skeleton Spirit is gin with its sleeves rolled up—no prettying, no softening, no apologies. It channels the industrial grit of Baltimore's harbor district into a spirit that rewards those who appreciate texture and tension over smoothness. This is the kind of gin that reminds you juniper is a wild, thorny thing.
Nose
An immediate blast of raw, resinous juniper gives way to cracked black pepper and dried angelica root. There's a muscular earthiness underneath—damp stone and cellar dust—that refuses to conform to polished expectations. A hint of citrus zest flickers at the edges but never softens the overall rugged character.
Palate
The entry is bold and unapologetically grainy, with an assertive juniper core wrapped in waxy angelica and biting coriander seed. Mid-palate brings a peppery heat and a fleeting mineral quality reminiscent of wet concrete, while licorice root adds a dark, almost savory sweetness. The texture is oily and slightly rough, with real grip on the tongue.
Finish
Long and drying, with lingering juniper resin, white pepper, and a faintly bitter herbal note that recalls wild chamomile. It leaves a pleasantly austere, almost smoky impression.
- Style
- American Dry Gin
- Botanicals
- Juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, licorice root, black pepper, cassia bark, citrus peel, and locally sourced botanicals
- Base Spirit
- Grain neutral spirit
- Distillation
- Pot-distilled in a custom copper pot still with a proprietary botanical vapor basket
Cocktail Suggestion
The Flintlock — 2 oz Shot Tower Skeleton Spirit Gin · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.5 oz Demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Shake hard with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a long lemon twist expressed over the surface
Food Pairing
Spicy, cumin-laden lamb merguez sausages with their charred, slightly bitter casings mirror the gin's resinous juniper and black pepper notes, while a cooling harissa yogurt drizzle plays off the spirit's underlying herbal complexity and dry finish.
Named for Baltimore's iconic 234-foot Shot Tower where molten lead was dropped to form ammunition, this gin channels the city's industrial backbone into a spirit that celebrates raw materials over refinement.
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