The Clover Club Cocktail: A Pre-Prohibition Pink Perfection

The Clover Club cocktail is a timeless classic, a sophisticated pre-Prohibition era gin sour known for its beautiful rosy hue, balanced sweet and tart flavour, and signature silky, frothy texture. More than just a pretty drink, it offers a refreshing and complex taste profile that has firmly re-established its place in the modern craft cocktail movement.

History and Origin

Originating in the late 19th century in Philadelphia, the Clover Club cocktail is named after the exclusive gentlemen’s club that met at the city’s Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. This gathering of writers, lawyers, and industry titans adopted the drink as their signature libation. While it faded from popularity in the mid-20th century (sometimes dismissed as a “girly” drink), the classic cocktail experienced a triumphant resurgence thanks to the modern cocktail renaissance, championed by bartenders and its namesake bar in Brooklyn, New York. If you’re searching for a historic yet trendy pink cocktail, this is your answer.

Flavour Profile and Key Ingredients

At its core, the Clover Club is an elegant evolution of the Gin Sour. The fundamental Clover Club ingredients are:

1. Gin: Traditionally a London Dry Gin provides the aromatic, botanical backbone, though modern variations also use Old Tom or Plymouth Gin, making it a versatile Gin Cocktail.

2. Fresh Lemon Juice: Crucial for providing the essential tartness and brightness that balances the other elements.

3. Raspberry Syrup: This is the defining ingredient, contributing the cocktail’s distinct pink colour and natural, fruity sweetness. High-quality, homemade raspberry syrup is often preferred for the best flavour in this gorgeous Raspberry Cocktail.

4. Egg White: The secret to the drink’s luxurious velvety mouthfeel and thick, stable foamy head. It is a perfect example of an Egg White Cocktail and is often prepared using the crucial dry shake technique to fully emulsify. Aquafaba is a popular vegan alternative. The resulting cocktail with foam is a visual treat.

5. Dry Vermouth (Optional): Some classic and contemporary recipes include a small amount of dry vermouth, creating a flavourful Gin and Vermouth Cocktail that adds a subtle, dry, herbaceous complexity.

The resulting taste is a harmonious blend—the botanical notes of the gin are perfectly complemented by the bright citrus and the sweet-tart raspberry notes, all wrapped in a wonderfully creamy texture. For those who enjoy a sophisticated cocktail, the Clover Club’s balance of flavours is unparalleled.

Preparation and Presentation

Learning how to make a Clover Club involves attention to detail. The typical method requires a dry shake (shaking all ingredients without ice) followed by a “wet shake” (shaking vigorously with ice) to chill and dilute. It is always double-strained and served straight up in a chilled coupe glass or cocktail glass. The traditional garnish is a few fresh raspberries skewered on a cocktail pick, resting on the bright pink drink and its perfect white head of foam. Try this Gin and Raspberry Drink today and experience a piece of classic mixology. Get the official Clover Club recipe and master this essential tipple.