Clover Club: The Forgotten Classic That Never Lost Its Charm

Before the Espresso Martini took over every menu and before the Negroni got its seasonal spritz makeover, there was the Clover Club. A pre-Prohibition cocktail that never shouted for attention  it just quietly demanded respect.

Born in Philadelphia in the late 1800s, the Clover Club was named after a gentleman’s group of journalists and lawyers who met at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel to drink, debate, and wax poetic about the world. Their signature cocktail became a symbol of refinement: gin, raspberry, citrus, and silky egg white foam, shaken to perfection and served in a coupe.

At its best, it’s a study in texture and balance. The tartness of lemon plays against the soft sweetness of raspberry. The foam doesn’t just sit on top; it integrates, delivering aroma before flavour, cushioning each sip. It’s the drink that reminds bartenders why technique matters. Shake too soft, and it’s flat. Shake too long, and it’s watery. But hit that sweet spot, and the Clover Club feels like velvet.

Modern bartenders have given it a new life with Cocktail Foamer, trading the mess and inconsistency of egg whites for clean, stable foam that lasts the entire glass. It’s a small tweak that lets the cocktail focus on what it does best — looking beautiful, drinking balanced, and never overstaying its welcome.

So here’s to the Clover Club. A drink that proves elegance doesn’t need reinvention, just the right hands to keep it alive.

Recipe: Clover Club

Glass: Coupe
Method: Reverse Dry Shake (shake with ice first, then without)
Ice: Cubed (for shaking only)
Garnish: Three fresh raspberries on a skewer

Ingredients:

• 45 ml London Dry Gin

• 25 ml Fresh lemon juice

• 15 ml Dry vermouth

• 15 ml Raspberry syrup

• 20 ml Cocktail Foamer 

Steps:

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds.

2. Fine strain back into the shaker, discard the ice, and shake again to build foam texture.

3. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.

4. Garnish with three fresh raspberries across the rim.

Elegant, timeless, and always rewarding. The Clover Club is proof that true classics never really go out of style.