After the release of the Riot Club, it would seem that Oxford’s unfortunate reputation as drinking society mecca has reached new heights. Perhaps it is only appropriate, then, for this week’s cocktail to be named after a drinking society dating back even further than Prohibition — the Clover Club.
The denizens of the Clover Club were once described as the ‘distinguished patrons of the oak-paneled lounge’ of the Bellevie-Stratford hotel in Philadelphia. Captains of industry and politicos alike would meet in the Clover Club and enjoy this complex cocktail right up until the Prohibition, when the concoction suddenly fell out of favour.
After its fall from grace, the Clover Club cocktail never truly recovered, despite the recent renaissance in classic cocktails. Yet another cocktail incorporating egg white as a key ingredient, it can be recognised by the foamy pink head resting at the top of the martini glass. Fans of Ab Fab and other gin lovers will also be glad to note the principal spirit in the mix and the juniperberry harshness of a good gin works to combat the sweetness of the grenadine.
It was increasingly seen as a woman’s drink, replacing the Pink Lady as the cocktail of choice for the classy female cocktail-bar revelers of Twentieth Century America. Nowadays, you’ll be lucky to find it on any menu. Yet for those with a sweet tooth, the drink is the perfect after dinner dessert — as long as you shake it enough.
1.5 measures gin
1.75 measures lemon juice
Few dashes of grenadine
1 egg white
Mix without ice for an extended period, before shaking some more with ice in the mix.
