Saturday, September 12, 2020

clover club

1 1/2 oz Dry Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Raspberry Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Egg White (1 Egg White)

Shake without ice and then with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with 2 raspberries on a pick (omit)

While flipping through Amanda Schuster's New York Cocktails book, I was reminded that I had never had Julie Reiner's version of the Clover Club that she serves at the Brooklyn establishment under that name. I had previously written about the Clover Club as made at Green Street, but Julie's sourced a historical recipe first recorded in 1909 that includes dry vermouth along with the gin, citrus, raspberry, and egg white. Moreover, I have heard that the dry vermouth helps to tie together all of the flavors, and that it makes for a superior tipple. Despite its pinkness, the libation started as a men's drink at a club that did not even allow women to enter, but that association began to switch shortly after World War II before falling out of fashion as bars were less apt to make egg drinks.
The Clover Club with dry vermouth welcomed the nose with pine and raspberry aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and berry sip opened up into a gin and raspberry swallow. The dry vermouth was not an apparent flavor in the mix, but perhaps it was the glue that united parts better into a whole. Not that the vermouth-free one was all that shabby. I have yet to make them side-by-side to truly compare -- I am basing my memories on a drink I had in 2009; in addition, the Green Street recipe included a dash of Peychaud's Bitters perhaps derived from Stanley Clisby Arthur's Famous New Orleans Drinks & How to Mix'em.

2 comments:

Alex said...

For a different take on the Clover Club that I think is even better than either recipe you've tried before, give this version a try:

2 oz floral or citrus gin (Hendricks, Tanqueray 10, etc)
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz simple syrup
5-7 fresh raspberries
1 egg white

Dry shake without ice for ~6 seconds, then add ice and shake again for ~12 seconds, strain into glass and garnish with fresh raspberries.

I find the use of fresh raspberries instead of raspberry syrup, and omission of vermouth, makes for a really bright, fresh, tasty and refreshing drink.

CocktailVirgin said...

I previously covered the vermouth-free recipe but wanted to see what Julie Reiner was excited about with this alternative old recipe. I've definitely done the muddle fruit to make an instant syrup (I give that option in my book so there is less prep work). Raspberry syrup lasts longer in my fridge though. Frozen berries will work in a pinch.