The Creative Origin Story Of The US Open's Honey Deuce Cocktail

At the end of August, New York City finds itself fully in the swing of the U.S. Open. And while as many as 74,000 people might fill the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens on a single day to watch some of the world's best athletes in action, many of us also have our eyes glued to the food and drink options at the year's biggest tennis extravaganza. The star of those options is the tournament's signature drink: the honey deuce. This cocktail was engineered to be not only delicious and crowd-pleasing but refreshing, too — it's the hottest time of year, after all. Plus, it's easy to make quickly at high volumes and is creative in its name and tennis ball-inspired garnish. So how did this beverage come to fruition?

U.S. Open sponsor Grey Goose tapped at-the-time brand ambassador and beverage pro Nick Mautone to invent a drink that ticked all those aforementioned boxes, and his drink made its initial splash in 2006. Mautone had settled on an easy-drinking, perfectly balanced sweet-and-tart blend of Grey Goose vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueur, and lemonade. Tasty, efficiently made, and refreshing, yes, but what about the tennis tie-in? Mautone happened to be scooping honeydew balls one night simply for his own dessert, and their resemblance to tennis balls struck him. He added them as a garnish and named his cocktail honey deuce, a play on honeydew and deuce, a tied score of 40 in tennis.

While the honey deuce sounds simple, each element was carefully considered. Mautone wanted something thirst-quenching and with mass appeal, like a vodka lemonade, but the Chambord was necessary to add that sweet balance and provide a pink color pop that attracts thirsty ticket-holders. Add those tennis ball-like honeydew balls and a punny name, and it's no wonder this cocktail was a smash hit. A whopping two million honey deuces have been sold since 2011, and 450,000 of those were in 2023. And the drink's popularity only seems to grow despite rising prices — it was $14 in 2012, $22 in 2023, and this year, it's $23. Perhaps it helps seal the deal for fans that they get to keep the souvenir glass.

The way the Kentucky Derby has its classic mint julep and Wimbledon has its refreshing Pimm's Cup, the U.S. Open has the honey deuce, and New York City really gets into the drink's celebratory spirit. In 2022, Cocktail Courier rolled out a delivery service of the honey deuce in cans, meaning Manhattan and Brooklyn residents unable to get to the Open could join in on the fun. And some of the trendiest bars, restaurants, and hotels in the city playfully put their own versions of the tipple on their menus. Of course, wherever you are, you can make your own honey deuce, and even upgrade it with bright honeydew puree.