Cupid's Favorite Cocktail: Clover Club

Few cocktails strike the balance between elegance, history, and pure drinkability quite like the Clover Club. With its soft pink hue, velvety texture, and bright, bracing flavor, the Clover Club has become a favorite for bartenders and home mixologists alike, especially when the occasion calls for something a little romantic.

Despite its modern popularity, the Clover Club is anything but new. The cocktail dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where it was associated with the Clover Club, a Philadelphia-based gentlemen’s society that met regularly at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. Over time, the drink made its way into early cocktail manuals and became a staple of pre-Prohibition bar culture.

At its core, the Clover Club is a gin sour elevated by raspberry and egg white. Gin provides structure and botanical complexity, lemon juice brings acidity, raspberry adds fruit-forward sweetness, and egg white creates the cocktail’s signature silky foam. When made correctly, the drink is light yet substantial, tart yet smooth, and visually striking without being overly sweet or gimmicky.

For many years, the Clover Club fell out of favor, largely due to shifting tastes and the decline of egg-white cocktails in the mid-20th century. However, the modern cocktail renaissance brought renewed appreciation for classic techniques and forgotten recipes, and the Clover Club has enjoyed a well-deserved revival. Today, it’s a staple on craft cocktail menus and an excellent showcase for high-quality gin and bitters.

What makes the Clover Club especially appealing for home bartenders is that it feels luxurious without requiring obscure ingredients. A good raspberry syrup—whether homemade or store-bought—goes a long way, and the technique is straightforward once you master the dry shake. The result is a drink that feels celebratory, refined, and just a little indulgent.

Whether you’re serving it for Valentine’s Day, a dinner party, or simply because you want a beautiful cocktail in your coupe, the Clover Club proves that pink drinks can be both serious and sophisticated.

Clover Club Cocktail Recipe

• 2 oz gin (London Dry or a softly floral gin)

• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice

• ¾ oz raspberry syrup

• 1 egg white

• Garnish: fresh raspberry or lemon twist

Add all ingredients to a shaker without ice. Dry shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake again until well chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish and serve immediately.

Optional Finish add one or two drops of aromatic bitters on the foam and gently swirl or drag a toothpick through for a decorative touch.