Classic cocktails are classic for a reason. They have endured the test of time, and, generally, they aren’t drinks you can really improve; at best, you’re just putting your own twist on ’em. However, that’s not to say those twists aren’t worth making — with the right ingredients.

This week’s inspiration came from a cocktail that’s said to date back to the early 1900s. In 1917, recipes for the Clover Club appeared in a couple of published books, and its original combo of gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg white is definitely worth a try. You can find an excellent one at CW’s Gin Joint in downtown Tampa, and while you’re there, check out the Panda, featured in CL’s recent Cocktail Issue.

Our Clover Club adaptation swaps raspberry syrup for orange blossom honey (though we haven’t ditched the raspberries completely) and calls for blood orange instead of lemon. The result is a bevy of flavors that work exceptionally well together.

If you’re wary of using raw egg whites, know that this drink can be made without them — but it’s not nearly as good. Also: I love Hendrick’s Gin, and it works great here.

Now get to mixing.

Orange Blossom Clover Club

Makes 1

4 fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon orange blossom honey

1 ounce fresh blood orange juice (about half an orange)

2 ounces gin

1 ounce dry vermouth

1 egg white

3 dashes orange bitters (optional)

Fill a coupe glass with ice and water. Set aside to chill. In a cocktail shaker, add raspberries, honey and blood orange juice, then muddle until fully broken down. Add remaining ingredients and dry shake (without ice) until frothy. Add ice and shake until well-chilled. Discard ice from coupe glass and double strain cocktail in. Garnish with a blood orange slice.

Connect with CL columnist Chris Fasick on Twitter, or email him at cdfasick@gmail.com if there’s a local cocktail or a recipe you’d like featured.

This article appears in Feb 8-15, 2018.