The Clover Club is one of the prettiest cocktails you will ever make, and one of the most unfairly overlooked. Soft pink, topped with a silky foam, it looks like something from a much more precious cocktail bar than your own kitchen counter. It is also properly balanced, sharp lemon and bright raspberry holding the gin steady, so it never tips into being just a pretty drink with nothing behind it.
This is one I make when I want to impress without much extra effort. Here is how I build one, and the technique that gives it that soft, cloud-like top.
What Is a Clover Club?
A Clover Club is a soft pink gin cocktail made from gin, raspberry syrup, fresh lemon juice and egg white, shaken until foamy and served in a chilled coupe. It takes its name from a gentlemen's club that met at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in the early twentieth century, and it has been a fixture of the classic cocktail canon ever since, falling in and out of fashion but never quite disappearing.
The raspberry syrup gives it colour and fruit, the lemon keeps that sweetness in check, and the egg white is what turns a simple gin sour into something silkier and more refined. It sits somewhere between a Gin Sour and a dessert, elegant rather than sickly.
Ingredients
This makes one Clover Club. Use the card to scale it up, though it shakes best in small batches so the foam holds.
A Few Notes on the Ingredients
Raspberry syrup is what gives the drink its colour and its name-defining fruit character. A good quality syrup, ideally one made with real raspberries rather than flavouring, makes a noticeable difference. You can make your own by simmering raspberries with sugar and water, or buy a decent one ready-made.
Fresh lemon juice is essential, as it is in any sour. It is what keeps the raspberry sweetness from taking over and gives the drink its sharp, clean edge. Bottled juice simply will not do the job.
Egg white is what makes this drink special rather than just a Gin Sour with raspberry in it. It gives the top that glossy, cloud-like foam that defines the Clover Club. Aquafaba works as a straightforward swap if you would rather avoid egg.
Gin should have a clean botanical profile so it can hold its own against the raspberry and lemon without disappearing. A classic London dry works well here, letting the fruit shine while still giving the drink some backbone.
Variations Worth Trying
- Clover Leaf: build the same drink but split into two glasses and top with soda for a lighter, fizzier version.
- Vegan Clover Club: use aquafaba in place of egg white for the same foam without any egg.
- Blackberry Club: swap raspberry syrup for blackberry syrup for a deeper, more autumnal note.
- Sparkling Clover Club: top with a splash of prosecco for a celebratory version.
Skip the Mixing
The Clover Club is a proper reward for the effort of a dry shake and a fine chill, and it is well worth learning if you enjoy a bit of technique. It does take raspberry syrup, fresh lemons and egg white all in stock at once though, which is a fair bit to have on hand for one glass. When you want that same fruity, showstopping look with nothing to shake, our Pornstar Martini brings a similar sense of occasion, and the wider Boozy range is right here too.
Clover Club FAQs
What is in a Clover Club?
Gin, raspberry syrup, fresh lemon juice and egg white, shaken until foamy and served in a chilled coupe with a raspberry garnish.
What does a Clover Club taste like?
Bright and fruity with a sharp lemon backbone, softened by a silky, almost creamy foam from the egg white. It is fruity without being sweet in an overpowering way.
Do you need egg white in a Clover Club?
Yes, for the proper texture. It is what gives the drink its glossy foam and rounder mouthfeel. Aquafaba is a reliable vegan alternative if you would rather skip the egg.
Is a Clover Club very sweet?
It should be balanced rather than sweet, with fresh lemon juice keeping the raspberry syrup in check. A well-made one feels bright rather than sugary.
What gin is best for a Clover Club?
A clean, classic London dry gin works well, giving the drink enough backbone to stand up to the raspberry and lemon without disappearing into them.
