After shaking up cocktails at Mo’s House and other local spots for several years, Jade Kopp jumped at a chance to run his own lounge. Opportunity knocked at Clover Club, which has served underground sips to Main Street since April.
A quieter complement to upstairs sister establishment Patsy Hartigan’s Irish Pub, Clover Club is “kind of a foil to the masculine space and all the sports-centric stuff,” Kopp says. It has a busy activity schedule, including trivia, standup comedy, and bring-your-own-vinyl nights, but no TVs. “We’re conversation-centric. That’s the entertainment,” Kopp explains.
Stairs from the Main Street sidewalk to the basement lead to Clover Club’s dimly lit atmosphere, with jungle scene wallpaper and vintage posters evoking a relaxed, lived-in vibe. “The visual of the bar is built around the colors,” he says, with pinks and reds that mimic Clover Club’s namesake cocktail. The lounge has light snacks such as crackers, dips, and desserts, and customers can order off Patsy Hartigan’s menu.
But down in the basement, it’s all about drinks. Clover Club serves classic cocktails and thoughtfully created house specialties. “I wanted to bring something for everybody,” Kopp says. “I didn’t want anything to hit too many of the same spots. I didn’t want anybody to come in and think, ‘Oh, it’s a gin bar. It’s not for me.’”
Kopp says bourbon fans “can still get a drink that scratches that itch” with the S’Great Martinez, which blends New Riff Bourbon Barreled Kentucky Wild Gin and Casoni balsamic vermouth, plus cherry liqueur and orange bitters.
Another Clover Club twist on a classic cocktail is the Enzoni, which Kopp says has similar elements to a Negroni, “but it’s a little more accessible. It’s got some lemon and a green grape syrup that doesn’t make it such a harsh, bitter flavor that a Negroni has.” Looking for a tart, juicy sip? Check out the Singapore Sling, a cocktail name-dropped by Tom Cruise’s character in the 1988 film “Cocktail.” “It’s got some tropical flavors, and it goes down real easy,” Kopp says.
The signature mix, though, is the aptly named Clover Club: Fords London Dry gin, Lillet Blanc French wine, and splashes of lemon juice and house-made raspberry syrup, plus an egg white.
In addition to being Clover Club’s manager, Kopp also has a slice of ownership. Before joining the staff of Mo’s House, he worked at Hacienda, BRU Burger Bar, the former Arazu on Main, and Fidel’s. A sports-focused friendship with Patsy Hartigan’s Irish Pub co-owner Joshua Pietrowski sprouted a business partnership. “I started hearing him and (co-owner) Scott (Schymik) talk about this project down here,” Kopp says. “It started eating into my brain, like, ‘What are they going to do?’”
He found out soon enough, and Clover Club is off to a promising start, drawing couples and smaller parties as well as a few larger gatherings. Closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, it’s open 5-11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Pietrowski says his businesses have always been about “bringing people together,” and Clover Club is the latest example. “We’re just really grateful for the opportunity to have a space here in the basement and to have a guy like Jade, who we’ve just given full reigns of this thing,” he says.
