Recipe for the Best Gin Cocktail Ever: the Clover Club—3 Ways.
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A Brief History of the Clover Club

Originally part of the group of cocktails known as “gentlemen’s drinks,” its roots stretch back to pre-Prohibition Philadelphia. The star of the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel men’s club (real men drink pink) of the same name, The Clover Club was a hotspot for movers, shakers, and all-around snappy dressers. Sophistication wasn’t just a vibe—it was a lifestyle—and the Clover Club cocktail embodied it with a balanced blend of sweet, tart, and velvety goodness.

At its heart, a Clover Club is nothing short of an explosion of happiness in your mouth (thanks to a certain someone for putting that phrase in my brain 20 years ago…). It combines gin, vermouth, fresh lemon juice, raspberry, and an egg white to create a velvety texture and a cloud-like foam top. The flavor is fruity without being overly-sweet, tangy but not sour, and aromatic thanks to the botanicals in the gin. It’s a drink that manages to be both beautiful and refreshing—a true example of perfect mixology.

Not a fan of raw egg white? No worries!

What the Clover Club is not.

Let’s get one thing straight right away: a true Clover Club uses raspberry, not cranberry. Somewhere along the line, cranberry juice tried to crash the party, but we’re here to set the record straight. A fresh raspberry syrup creates the vibrant color and slightly tangy sweetness that define this cocktail. Cranberry? That’s for some bullsh*t with vodka or maybe Thanksgiving. Not this timeless masterpiece.

Variations on a Classic Clover Club

While the classic Clover Club is anything but boring, there is still room for a few twists & turns—here are 3 ways you can customize this drink to your preferred flavor profile:

Dry version (my preference)

• 1.5 oz of dry gin
• 1:1:1 ratio of 0.5 oz dry or extra-dry vermouth, fresh lemon juice, and fresh raspberry syrup

Arguably-classic version

• Skip the vermouth
• Increase the gin to 2oz

Sweet version

• Skip the vermouth (again)
• Increase the gin to 2oz (again)
• Use an American-style “key” gin, usually infused with citrus instead of herbs, like juniper

Skip the egg white and make a Cosmo

If the thought of raw egg in your drink makes you a bit queazy, you’re not alone; there’s a variation just for you: the Classic Cosmo Cocktail.

• Increase the raspberry syrup to 0.75 oz
• Increase the lemon juice to 0.75 oz
• Skip that egg white and the dry shake

“Macerate”—a dirty sounding word that makes for some clean drinkin’.

In order to capture that bright, super fresh raspberry flavor, you’re going to want to incorporate fresh raspberries. But what do you do if you don’t have any raspberry syrup? No, you don’t use grenadine with all of its artificial colors, sweeteners, and (incorrect) flavors—you macerate.

How to Macerate Fruit for Cocktails

Drop a few raspberries into the small side of a Boston shaker, add about 1 tsp. of sugar, muddle them together, and wait 15–30 minutes. You’ll notice how much more liquidly the berries look without even adding any liquid ingredients!

Want to level-up that berry flavor even more? Check out how to make fruit syrups from scratch.

What Does “Dry Shake” Mean?

Dry shaking is simply shaking all cocktail ingredients together—including the egg white—in a shaker before adding the ice, with the ultimate goal of delivering a fluffy head. Then, you add the ice to dilute and chill the cocktail.

What’s the “Reverse” Dry Shake?

The reverse dry shake is a technique that adds a polished, silky texture to the overall drink, and a thicker foam head. It flips the process of a traditional dry shake—everything is shaken together, first (“wet shake”), then the ice is removed & we finish with a dry shake. This achieves more aeration and a foam with superior volume and stability.

Should I Wet Shake With or Without the Egg?

Here at Whisks & Giggles, we wet shake with the egg white included to deliver the perfect balance of an velvety texture with a foamy top. Ultimately, it’s really up to your personal preference, so here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

• Wet shake, no egg: yields a larger, meringue-like head and less creamy drink.
• Wet shake, with egg: yields a creamier drink but still delivers cloud-like foam head.

How to Master the Reverse Dry Shake—Detailed Steps

Any shaken egg-white cocktail will benefit from this method of dry shaking!

1. Mise en place.
   Gather a Boston shaker, a strainer, a chilled glass, and drink igreidents. Be sure to use fresh, high-quality ingredients (especially a fresh egg) for better flavor and texture.
2. Wet shake (with egg).
   
   • Add ice (at least halfway up) into the large side of the shaker.
   • Add all ingredients—including the egg white—into the small side of the shaker.
   • Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to combine, chill, and dilute the mixture. This step also begins to emulsify the egg white into the drink.
3. Strain out the ice.
   
   • Use a hawthorne cocktail strainer to catch the ice while pouring out the liquid into a chilled cocktail glass.
     Tip: seriously folks, it’s fine to save yourself some cleanup and just use your serving glass for this step.
   • Discard as much of the ice from the shaker and you can, being sure no large chunks are left.
4. Dry shake (without ice).
   
   • Pour the strained liquid back into the same (ice-less) shaker you just used because we want it to be chilled.
   • Assemble the shaker and shake for about 10 seconds. The lack of ice help you to build a fluffy foam on top of the emulsified mixture, creating a frothy, velvety texture.
5. Serve!
   Pour the drink back into your chilled cocktail glass. Use a fine mesh cocktail strainer if you want the absolute smoothest experience possible, but it’s not a requirement.

Why the Reverse Dry Shake Works

The wet shake chills the ingredients and helps emulsify the egg white without over-aerating. By removing the ice before the dry shake, you avoid over-dilution while maximizing foam consistency and volume. This method ensures a more elegant presentation and a creamy, luxurious cocktail. The Clover Club is a “gentlemen’s drink”, after all…

The Last Drop

Whether you’re looking for a cocktail that’s as stylish as you are, or just craving a drink that’s as refreshing as it looks, the Clover Club has got your back.