The Clover Club is a sophisticated pre-Prohibition era cocktail that combines gin, fresh lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and egg white to create a beautifully pink, frothy drink that’s as elegant as it is delicious. Named after the Philadelphia men’s club where it was popularized in the early 1900s, this cocktail fell out of favor for decades before being rediscovered by the craft cocktail revival. The egg white creates a silky, foamy texture that’s both luxurious and visually stunning, while the raspberries add natural sweetness and that gorgeous pink hue. The result is a perfectly balanced cocktail that’s tart, slightly sweet, floral from the gin, and incredibly smooth. Despite its fancy appearance and old-fashioned reputation, the Clover Club is surprisingly accessible and delicious, making it perfect for special occasions, cocktail parties, or anytime you want to serve something that looks impressive but tastes even better.
Serving Quantity: 1 cocktail (easily multiplied)
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
1. Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin (London Dry style)
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce raspberry syrup or grenadine (preferably homemade or quality brand)
- 1 egg white (about 1 ounce)
- 6 to 8 fresh raspberries (for muddling)
- Ice cubes
- Fresh raspberries for garnish
- Optional: lemon twist for garnish
2. Nutrition Information Per Serving
- Calories: 185
- Protein: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fat: 0g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sodium: 55mg
3. Choose Quality Gin
The gin is the foundation of this cocktail, so quality matters. Use a London Dry gin with good botanical complexity – Tanqueray, Beefeater, or Plymouth are classic choices that work beautifully. Avoid overly floral or cucumber-forward gins which can clash with the raspberry. The juniper-forward character of traditional gin is what makes this cocktail work.
4. Make Raspberry Syrup
If making your own raspberry syrup, combine one cup of fresh or frozen raspberries with one cup of sugar and half a cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring and mashing the berries, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture simmers. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids. Let cool completely before using. Homemade syrup keeps refrigerated for up to two weeks and has far better flavor than most commercial options.
5. Prepare Fresh Lemon Juice
Roll a lemon firmly on the countertop before cutting to release maximum juice. Cut in half and juice, straining out seeds. You need three-quarters of an ounce of fresh lemon juice, which is about a tablespoon and a half or the juice from about half a large lemon. Fresh lemon juice is essential – bottled will not create the same bright, balanced flavor.
6. Separate the Egg White
Crack a fresh egg and carefully separate the white from the yolk. You need just the white for this cocktail. Save the yolk for another use. The egg white should be free of any yolk as even a small amount of yolk will prevent proper foaming. Fresh eggs work best for the fluffiest foam.
7. Muddle the Raspberries
Place 6 to 8 fresh raspberries in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, gently crush the raspberries to release their juice and flavor. Don’t over-muddle or you’ll break up the seeds too much, which can make the drink gritty. Muddle just enough to release the juice.
8. Add All Ingredients
Add the gin, fresh lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and egg white to the shaker with the muddled raspberries. Don’t add ice yet. This dry shake without ice is crucial for creating the signature foam.
9. Dry Shake First
Seal the shaker tightly and shake vigorously without ice for about 15 to 20 seconds. This is called a dry shake and it’s essential for emulsifying the egg white and creating maximum foam. Shake hard and fast – you should hear the liquid sloshing but no ice rattling. The vigorous shaking without ice creates the protein structure in the egg white that produces that luxurious foam.
10. Add Ice
After the dry shake, open the shaker and add a generous amount of ice, filling it about two-thirds full. Use large, solid ice cubes if possible. Seal the shaker tightly again.
11. Shake With Ice
Shake vigorously again for another 10 to 15 seconds. This second shake chills the cocktail to the perfect temperature while maintaining the foam you created in the dry shake. The shaker should become ice cold and frosty on the outside.
12. Check the Foam
After the second shake, the cocktail should have developed a thick, creamy foam from the egg white. If you peek inside, you should see substantial white foam on top of the pink liquid. This foam is what makes the Clover Club so special and gives it that silky texture.
13. Prepare Your Glass
Use a coupe glass or small martini glass for the most elegant presentation. Chill the glass in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before making the cocktail, or fill it with ice water while you prepare the drink, then dump the water out right before straining.
14. Double Strain
Place a Hawthorne strainer over the shaker opening, then hold a fine-mesh strainer over your chilled glass. Pour the cocktail through both strainers into the glass. The double straining catches any raspberry seeds, ice chips, or other particles, creating a perfectly smooth cocktail with nothing but silky liquid and foam. The foam should sit on top like a thick, creamy cap.
15. Let the Foam Settle
Once poured, let the cocktail sit for about 15 to 20 seconds. The foam will settle and stabilize into a thick layer on top of the pink cocktail. It should be substantial enough that you could almost draw designs in it.
16. Garnish Elegantly
Thread one to three fresh raspberries onto a cocktail pick and rest it across the top of the glass, or simply place a few raspberries gently on top of the foam. For extra elegance, add a small lemon twist by cutting a thin strip of lemon peel, expressing the oils over the drink, and draping it over the rim. The garnish should be minimal and elegant.
17. Serve Immediately
Present the Clover Club right away while it’s ice cold and the foam is at its peak. The drink should be beautiful to look at with its pink color and white foam cap topped with vibrant red raspberries. Instruct the drinker to sip through the foam to experience the full texture.
18. Sipping Instructions
Sip the Clover Club slowly to appreciate its layers. The first sips will include the silky foam, which has a marshmallow-like texture. As you continue drinking, you’ll reach the liquid beneath, which should be perfectly balanced between tart lemon, sweet raspberry, and botanical gin. The foam provides body and smoothness throughout.
19. Tips for Success
Fresh eggs are important for safety and for the best foam. Use the freshest eggs you can find. If you’re concerned about consuming raw eggs, you can use pasteurized egg whites from a carton – use one ounce. The dry shake is essential and cannot be skipped. This is what creates the luxurious foam that defines the Clover Club. Without it, the egg white won’t emulsify properly. Shaking hard and long enough makes all the difference. Don’t be timid – really shake vigorously during both the dry shake and the wet shake with ice. Fresh raspberries add bright flavor and aroma that frozen raspberries can’t quite match. If you must use frozen, thaw them completely first and adjust the amount of syrup as they may be more watery. Quality raspberry syrup makes a huge difference. Homemade is best, but if buying, look for brands without artificial colors or flavors. Some recipes use grenadine, which is pomegranate-based, but true raspberry syrup is more authentic. Double straining is crucial for a perfectly smooth cocktail without seeds or pulp. Don’t skip this step or you’ll have gritty bits in your drink. The ratio of ingredients creates perfect balance. Some recipes vary slightly, but 2 ounces gin, three-quarters ounce lemon, and half ounce raspberry syrup is the classic proportion that creates a drink that’s spirit-forward but not harsh. Don’t over-muddle the raspberries. You want to release the juice but not pulverize the seeds, which can add bitterness and grittiness. A gentle press is sufficient. Some bartenders perform a reverse dry shake – shaking with ice first, then removing the ice and shaking again without ice. Both methods work, but the traditional dry-then-wet shake is more common. The Clover Club should be pink, not red. The color comes from the raspberries and should be a soft, pretty pink. If it’s too dark, you’ve used too much syrup or too many berries. The foam should be substantial and stable, sitting on top of the drink like a cloud. If your foam is thin or disappears quickly, you didn’t shake long or hard enough during the dry shake. A coupe glass is traditional and shows off the foam beautifully. A Nick and Nora glass also works well. Avoid serving in a rocks glass, which doesn’t showcase the elegant presentation. This cocktail is naturally gluten-free and can be made vegan by using aquafaba (chickpea liquid) instead of egg white. Use about three-quarters of an ounce of aquafaba and shake the same way. The Clover Club was nearly forgotten for decades, dismissed as too sweet or feminine. The craft cocktail revival in the 2000s brought it back into favor, and now it’s considered a classic. The combination of gin, citrus, and berries with egg white foam creates a category of cocktails. The White Lady, Ramos Gin Fizz, and Pisco Sour all share similar techniques. For a variation, try the Clover Leaf, which adds fresh mint leaves muddled with the raspberries for a refreshing herbal note. Serve at brunch, cocktail parties, or as a special dessert drink. The pink color and elegant presentation make it perfect for celebrations, showers, or Valentine’s Day. The Clover Club proves that old cocktails can be just as sophisticated and delicious as modern creations. Sometimes the classics really are the best.
