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Have you been to a farmer’s market this summer? It’s peak season for Michigan raspberries and they are beautiful this year! So how could Binny’s Home Bartender resist the wonders of fresh fruit as a key ingredient in classic cocktail? We can’t. So, here comes the Clover Club, a refreshingly sweet, sour and fruity libation with an incredibly frothy yet satiny mouthfeel.

This is one of those pre-prohibition gems that dates to late 1800s. Its heyday can be traced back to Philadelphia’s Bellevue-Stratford hotel bar. That was where the city’s movers and shakers (the Clover Club) met and exchanged ideas while draining shakers full of Clover Club cocktails and probably not moving from their comfortable seats until compelled to do so by closing time. Soon bars across Manhattan got into the act and the Clover Club’s classic status was set in stone, glass and steel as that city built its modern skyline.

Or was it? Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but a little ill-conceived experiment known as prohibition effectively wiped the collective consciousness of any memory of the Clover Club cocktail and New York City was left with the Bronx cheer as its most famous raspberry delight.

That is until the early twenty-first century cocktail revival rolled around and many long forgotten drinks were born anew. The Clover Club started appearing in cocktail books and popping up on the menus of trendy cocktail bars. In 2008 the comeback was completed with the opening of the hip Brooklyn cocktail bar Clover Club that featured and continues to feature the Clover Club cocktail as its signature drink.

It’s easy enough to make, but there are a few things you might want to know before endeavoring to whip one up.

First, a rich raspberry simple syrup must be made from juicy, aromatic, peak season raspberries. A bright, fresh, invigorating raspberry note is the goal, so don’t cook the raspberries with the standard two to one ratio of sugar to water lest you end up with the flavor of pie filling instead of the essence of perfectly ripe berries. Instead use our cool(ish) method (below) or if you already have a rich simple syrup at hand just muddle with the berries and macerate overnight, then pour it through a fine mesh strainer.

Second, although there is evidence that early versions of the drink included dry vermouth, many choose not to include it. It can be omitted without throwing the balance out of whack. We like to use Dolin Blanc, a not quite as dry white vermouth that has a natural affinity for berries (Dolin Blanc is often served with strawberries) but Dolin dry is good as well.

Lastly, employ a dry shake. That is to say, shake the cocktail vigorously without ice to create an almost meringue-like foam and ultra-silky mouthfeel, thanks to the egg white. If you really want to amplify the frothy texture, remove the spiral ice dam from a Hawthorne strainer and add it to the shaker. It will act as a whisk as you shake, helping to incorporate a lot of air into the egg white. Then shake again with ice until well chilled. Some advocate reversing the order; shaking with ice first. Bakers know that room temp whites whisk up faster and fluffier than cold ones, but it’s up to you.

So, there you have it- a cool, frothy taste of midsummer magic that quite possibly could be the quintessential Barbenheimer boisson. It’s pretty, pink, super fun and lovable with a head full of air and has a history as a libation over which important matters were discussed, strategies developed and philosophies pondered by great intellects. The Clover Club may not have had the fate of the world in its hands, but they certainly gave the world a delicious drink. Trust us, these are the bomb! 

Clover Club

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz. London Dry Gin
• ½ oz. Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Blanc
• ¾ rich raspberry syrup
• ¾ oz. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ½ oz. egg white
• Garnish - 3 raspberries

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add gin, vermouth, raspberry syrup, lemon juice and egg white to a shaker.
2. Dry shake (no ice).
3. Add ice to shaker and shake until well chilled.
4. Double strain into a cocktail coupe.
5. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Rich Raspberry Simple Syrup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup warm water

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Thoroughly muddle raspberries and sugar together.
2. Allow to macerate 30 minutes or more.
3. Heat water to 120°F. Pour over sugar mixture and stir until fully dissolved.
4. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
5. Store extra in refrigerator.