Clover Club Mocktail

Before you start

The Clover Club is a pre-Prohibition sour of gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white, usually with a splash of dry vermouth. Its signature is a silky pink body under a thick white cap of foam. To make it without alcohol, white verjus takes the place of the vermouth and part of the gin, bringing wine-like acidity and grape character, while a non-alcoholic gin alternative or cold juniper water brings the botanical edge.

The foam comes from a two-stage shake: first without ice to whip the egg white, then with ice to chill. Use pasteurized egg white from a carton or pasteurized shell eggs for safety; aquafaba works too, with a slightly looser foam. A fresh raspberry syrup tastes far brighter than most bottled versions, and it takes ten minutes.

Ingredients

• Raspberry syrup100 g (¾ cup) raspberries — fresh or frozen
• 75 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) water
• Drink30 ml (1 oz) non-alcoholic gin alternative — or cold juniper water; see tips
• 30 ml (1 oz) white verjus
• 20 ml (⅔ oz) fresh lemon juice
• 20 ml (⅔ oz) raspberry syrup
• 30 ml (1 oz, about 1 large white) pasteurized egg white — or 30 ml aquafaba
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking
• 3 fresh raspberries — on a pick, for garnish

Method

1. Simmer the raspberries, sugar and water over medium heat for 5 minutes, crushing the berries with a spoon. Strain through a fine strainer without pressing hard, so the syrup stays clear. Cool completely.
2. Chill the coupe. Add the gin alternative, verjus, lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg white to the shaker.
3. Seal the shaker and dry-shake without ice for 15 seconds. You will feel the contents loosen and thicken as the egg white foams.
4. Open the shaker, fill it with ice and shake hard again for 10 to 12 seconds until very cold.
5. Double-strain into the coupe, letting the foam slide in last. Wait a few seconds for it to settle into a smooth cap.
6. Lay the raspberry pick across the rim and serve.

Tips for success

• For juniper water, crush 8 juniper berries and a strip of lemon peel, pour over 100 ml hot water, steep 10 minutes, strain and chill.
• Some non-alcoholic spirits contain a trace of alcohol, often under 0.5% ABV. Check the label if that matters to your guests.
• Remove the shaker's spring from the Hawthorne strainer and add it to the dry shake for an even denser foam.

Substitutions

Egg white

Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) makes a vegan foam. It is a little looser and can smell beany until shaken; a drop of lemon peel oil on top covers that.

White verjus

Use 15 ml white grape juice plus 10 ml extra lemon. It is sweeter and less wine-like but still balanced.

Raspberry syrup

Good raspberry jam works in a pinch: shake 2 tsp jam with the other ingredients and double-strain carefully. Grenadine changes the flavor to pomegranate.

Variations

Clover Club royale

Strain into a flute, skip the foam and top with 60 ml non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

Strawberry clover

Make the syrup with strawberries and add a pinch of black pepper.

Troubleshooting

The foam is thin or vanishes

The dry shake was too short or there was oil in the shaker. Shake for a full 15 seconds in a clean, dry tin.

The drink is cloudy dark pink with seeds

The berries were pressed through the strainer. Let the syrup drip through on its own, and double-strain the finished drink.

It tastes sharp and thin

Verjus brands vary in acidity. Add 5 ml more raspberry syrup.

Storage

Refrigerate the raspberry syrup in a sealed jar and use it within about 10 days; discard it if it smells fermented or grows mold. Keep opened carton egg white chilled and follow the package date. Serve the drink as soon as it is shaken.

Safety notes

This drink contains raw egg white. FDA advises using pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products for recipes served raw, especially for young children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system.