Clover Club cocktail recipe

A favourite among the sophisticated set of the late 1800s in Philadelphia, the Clover Club cocktail is zingy, sour and stupidly delicious. Berry and lemon flavours marry beautifully with the gin botanicals, and the additional creamy mouthfeel is the berry on top.

This pre-Prohibition icon is one of Philadelphia’s most influential contributions to drinks menus, comprising gin, raspberry syrup, fresh lemon juice and frothy egg whites. First recorded in print in 1908, it was named after the gentleman’s Clover Club in Philly, frequented by prominent politicians, lawyers and writers. However, like many genteel cocktail concoctions of the time, the Clover Club all but disappeared for most of the 20th century, slipping off the radars of restaurants and bars.

The Clover Club’s comeback story came about with its addition on the pages of modern cocktail books and mixology write-ups as chic, classic cocktails began trending once more. Yet the real resurgence was largely attributed to Julie Reiner in 2008 when she opened a cocktail bar in Brooklyn named after the berry-licious bev. The revival ushered the pretty pink cocktail back onto en vogue menus and into the hands of chic socialites, where it remains to this day.

For whipping up your own Clover Club at home, we suggest using a quality gin that best complements the cocktail’s tart, fruit flavours and silky body. Best to go for a slightly dryer style.

Interestingly, this tangy tipple was initially made with grenadine but is predominantly crafted today with raspberry syrup. Although, many cocktail connoisseurs will tell you that it’s not a Clover Club if it’s sans raspberry syrup. If you do decide on the sweet tartness of grenadine instead, we won’t judge. You do you.

While the egg white or aquafaba foamy top is also optional, we would like to stress that its role is kinda essential here for adding a delicious texture when shaken and strained.

In short, this bright pink drink is a must-try for your next cocktail hour for that fruit-forward sour freshness. Go on, join the club.