Clover Club Royale

Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 18 – Clover Club Royale.

If there’s one cocktail I’ll happily defend forever, it’s the Clover Club. She’s pink, she’s classic, she’s been around for well over a century, and she still manages to make people stop mid-conversation and say, “Wait — what is that?” So naturally, she’s getting the royal holiday treatment.

Clover Club Royale keeps the soul of the original gin sour and adds a celebratory sparkle on top. Think of it as the Clover Club putting on earrings, a good coat, and deciding to stay out just a little later than planned.

This post is sponsored by MASI.

Tasting notes

Fresh raspberries bring soft, jammy brightness, while honey-thyme syrup adds gentle floral warmth that feels tailor-made for winter. Gin keeps everything crisp and botanical, lemon sharpens the edges, and that float of sparkling wine turns the whole thing into a rosy, festive moment. It’s light, elegant, and deceptively easy to sip.

MASI Modello Prosecco Brut is made in Italy’s Prosecco DOC region and is designed to be approachable, vibrant, and endlessly drinkable. Expect bright notes of green apple, white peach, and citrus, with fine bubbles and a clean, refreshing finish that makes it feel celebratory without being overpowering.

That freshness is exactly why it works so beautifully here. The Prosecco lifts the berry and honey notes, keeps the drink feeling airy and balanced, and adds a refined sparkle that lets the gin sour underneath still shine. It’s the kind of bottle that plays well in cocktails but is also very happy to be poured on its own while you’re “just finishing one more thing.”

Teachable moment

When adding sparkling wine to a cocktail, always float it gently at the end. Pour slowly over the back of a spoon if you want to be extra precise. This keeps the bubbles lively and gives you that layered, jewel-toned look before everything mingles together.

If this Clover Club Royale lights your fire, check out my similar recipes:

• Clover Club
• Earl Grey Sour
• Snowfall Sour

Tune into my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 p.m. Eastern for a step-by-step tutorial, plus a short but passionate argument for why pink cocktails deserve year-round respect.

Cheers, friends!

Clover Club Royale

Print

Clover Club Royale

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

A Clover Club is one of my favourite classic cocktails and this riff gets crowned with MASI Modello Prosecco, all peach-blossom elegance and zesty citrus, for a bright, rosy sparkler fit for a queen.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Gin, Let’s Get Blitzen, Prosecco, Sparkling Wine

Servings: 1

Author: Yvonne Langen

Ingredients

• 5 raspberries
• ½ oz honey thyme & vermouth syrup
• 1½ oz London dry gin
• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 2-3 oz MASI Modello Prosecco

Honey, Thyme & Vermouth Syrup

• 1 cup dry vermouth
• 1 cup honey
• ¼ cup fresh thyme sprigs

Instructions

1. Add raspberries and syrup to a shaker tin. Muddle until juicy.
2. Add remaining ingredients, excluding prosecco, with ice and shake until well-chilled.
3. Strain into a flute glass and top with MASI Modello Prosecco.
4. Garnish with two raspberries skewered on a cocktail pick.

Honey, Thyme & Vermouth Syrup

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until fully incorporated – about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Fine-strain into an airtight container.
4. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.