Cooperstown Cocktail

Here's another from Mr. Bullock's (never mind his name) book "The Ideal Bartender" (1917), the Cooperstown. Using "Old Tom" gin, which is sweeter than "London Dry", and Italian (sweet) Vermouth and shaken with mint, this is basically a mint flavored sweet martini.

COOPERSTOWN COCKTAIL

Use a large Bar glass.
Fill with Lump Ice.
One jigger of Sir Robert Burnette's Old Tom Gin.
1/2 pony of Italian Vermouth.
Six leaves of fresh Mint.
Shake Ingredients well together.
Strain and serve in a Cocktail glass.


So, the modern adoptation is:

Cooperstown Cocktail


2 ounces (60 ml) Old Tom Gin (I used Hayman's)
1 ounce (30 ml) Italian Vermouth (I used Punt e Mes)
Six leaves of fresh mint


Shake and double strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with lemon twist.

I must say, "like at first sip" but less than half way through this drink I was in love with it. A nice, clean, slightly-sweet-but-still-dry drink with the deep dark notes from the Punt e Mes countering the sweet gin nicely.

The fresh mint is amazing, there, but only in the background. Punt e Mes is a fantastic vermouth in the right drink, but can be a bit cloying or heavy in the wrong mix. The mint with the Punt e Mes was a perfect match, and I'm sure to use this trick in a future "Lab" drink of my own.

Note on the double straining; a good hard shake will pulverize the fresh mint, which is great, but double strain with a fine-mesh strainer if you want a nice, clean drink.


Footnote:

A few more "Cooperstown" recipes that were brought to my attention:

1916-17 Hugo R. Ennslin

1/3 El Bart Gin
1/3 French Vermouth
1/3 Italian Vermouth
Sprig Fresh Mint

Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.


1922 Robert Vermeire's "Cocktails how to mix them"

Cooperstown Cocktail.

   The Cooperstown is a Martini Cocktail shaken up with 2 sprigs of fresh mint.
   This drink is very popular amongst the cowboys in America. The recipe was given to me by a well-known member of the Peerage who lived amongst them for some time.