The Clover Club is a refined and slightly bohemian cocktail. It combines gin, raspberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and egg white in perfect harmony. The drink’s color varies from pale pink to a deeper red. Its most recognizable feature is the smooth, frothy egg white layer on top. The Clover Club is closely related to the Clover Leaf cocktail. While the Clover Leaf uses grenadine syrup for sweetness, the Clover Club sticks to raspberries. This gives it a more natural and fruity character.
Story
The Clover Club originated in the early 1900s at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. It was here that writers, artists, public figures, and lawyers often gathered to enjoy this cocktail. However, with the onset of Prohibition, the drink faded into obscurity and remained forgotten for decades. Fortunately, it saw a revival in 2008, when Julie Reiner opened a bar in Brooklyn named after the cocktail. Since then, the Clover Club has steadily regained its place and is now a regular feature in many cocktail publications.
Ingredients
2 oz (60 ml) gin (high quality)
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) raspberry syrup
½ oz (15 ml) dry vermouth (optional)
1 egg white (optional)
How to make a Clover Club cocktail
This cocktail is often made using a dry shake, which helps to properly emulsify the egg white with the other ingredients. If you skip this step and shake everything with ice instead, you’ll still get a creamy, fluffy texture, though it may take a bit more effort. Once shaken, strain the flavorful drink into a pre-chilled glass. Raspberry syrup can be homemade by blending fresh raspberries with simple syrup.
Serving and garnish
The Clover Club cocktail is traditionally served in a cocktail, martini, or coupe glass. For garnish, you can use a raspberry speared on a toothpick or a thin twist of lemon peel placed on the rim of the glass to enhance its visual appeal. A fresh raspberry placed gently atop the foam is also a lovely finishing touch.
Calorie content
A serving of Clover Club cocktail contains approximately 170–180 calories, depending primarily on the type and quantity of raspberry syrup used.