Gin · Sour · Classic · Sour
Clover Leaf Recipe
The Clover Club's minty cousin — same silky pink froth, one sprig of fresh mint away from a whole new identity. Silky, tart and lightly herbal, the Clover Leaf is the kind of pre-dinner sour that feels equally at home at a garden party or a quiet cocktail hour at home. The muddled mint keeps things fresh without tipping the drink into full julep territory.
- Prep Time
- 1.5 min
- Method
- Shaken
- Glass
- Coupe glass
- Strength
- Light-Medium
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated October 20, 2026
About the Clover Leaf
The Clover Leaf is a pre-Prohibition American classic, first documented in Jacob Grohusko's 1908 Jack's Manual as a close relative of the Clover Club. Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book called it simply "the same as Clover Club, with a sprig of fresh mint on top" — the garnish, not the base recipe, was traditionally the defining difference between the two drinks.
Built on a 3:1:1:1:1:1 pour — 1.5 oz gin against five 0.5 oz measures of dry vermouth, grenadine, lime juice, lemon juice and egg white — the Clover Leaf keeps the gin dominant while the citrus, vermouth and grenadine each play an equal supporting role, whipped into a silky pink foam. It's essentially the Clover Club's ratio with vermouth and lime folded in, wearing a mint sprig instead of raspberries.
Ingredients
- Gin1 ½ oz
- Dry vermouth½ oz
- Grenadine½ oz
- Fresh lime juice½ oz
- Fresh lemon juice½ oz
- Egg white½ oz
- Fresh mint leaves5, muddled
- Fresh mint sprig, for garnish1
Method
- Lightly muddle the fresh mint leaves in the base of the shaker to bruise them.
- Measure and pour the gin, dry vermouth, grenadine, lime juice, lemon juice and egg white into the shaker.
- Dry-shake the mixture without ice for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
- Add ice to the shaker.
- Shake hard for 15 seconds until well-chilled.
- Fine-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass.
- Lightly clap a fresh mint sprig between your palms to release its aroma.
- Float the mint sprig on top of the cocktail.
Glass & Garnish
Coupe glass, chilled and served up. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig floated on the egg-white foam — the detail that distinguishes it from its parent, the Clover Club.
Notes
Also known simply as a Clover Club finished with fresh mint, the Clover Leaf traces to Jacob Grohusko's 1908 Jack's Manual and was later codified by Harry Craddock in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930). This recipe layers in dry vermouth and lime juice alongside the traditional lemon and grenadine. For the best foam, dry-shake first without ice, then add ice and shake hard a second time. A pasteurised egg white works well as a substitute for raw egg white.
Tools Used
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FAQ
- What's the difference between a Clover Leaf and a Clover Club?
- Traditionally, almost nothing but the garnish. Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book defines the Clover Leaf as simply a Clover Club topped with a fresh mint sprig instead of berries. Modern versions, including this one, also add dry vermouth and lime juice alongside the classic lemon and grenadine, giving the Clover Leaf a touch more herbal depth.
- Why does the Clover Leaf use a mint sprig garnish?
- The mint sprig is the drink's defining, well-documented signature — it's literally what separates a Clover Leaf from a Clover Club in classic cocktail literature. A few mint leaves are also muddled into the shake itself, so the floated sprig on top echoes that same fresh, aromatic note in every sip.
- Can I use raspberry syrup instead of grenadine?
- Yes — raspberry syrup is the traditional sweetener in the closely related Clover Club and works just as well here, producing a slightly fruitier, less tart pink hue than grenadine. Keep the measure the same at 0.5 oz so the drink's balance of sweet, sour and gin stays intact.
- What kind of gin works best in a Clover Leaf?
- A classic London Dry gin, with its clean juniper backbone, is the traditional choice and lets the mint, citrus and dry vermouth shine without competing for attention. A more floral or citrus-forward contemporary gin also works well, but avoid heavily herbal or barrel-aged styles, which can clash with the delicate mint garnish.
- Can I make a Clover Leaf in a big batch for a party?
- You can pre-batch the gin, dry vermouth, grenadine, lime juice and lemon juice in the fridge, but hold off on the egg white and mint — both need to be added and shaken fresh per drink to get the right silky foam and aroma. Muddle the mint and dry-shake each serving individually just before pouring.
- Are there other variations of the Clover Leaf worth trying?
- A Raspberry Clover Leaf swaps grenadine for fresh raspberry syrup, and a Clover Leaf Martini riff also exists. Since the Clover Leaf and Clover Club share almost the same base recipe, most Clover Club variations — different berries, added liqueurs — translate directly if you keep the mint garnish on top.
