How the Honey Deuce Became a US Open Status Symbol
The Honey Deuce Is Still the Biggest Status Symbol of the US Open
Tennis is a notably buttoned-up affair with a high price of entry and unwritten etiquette. Still, it sometimes manages to let its hair down. You won't see rowdy crowds and halftime shows, sure, and silence before a serve cuts through the stadium, but that contrast is exactly what makes Honey Deuce so refreshing. Between its playful pink hue, "tennis ball" garnish, and nostalgic collectible cup, the cocktail has become a US Open staple, a timeless classic.
But not every vodka lemonade has established the same staying power and cultural cachet of the Honey Deuce, which approaches its 20th anniversary next year. So what exactly makes the honeydew-garnished drink so special?
The Honey Deuce consists simply of Grey Goose, Chambord liqueur, and lemonade. Three honeydew melon balls complete the drink. When it hit the scene nearly 20 years ago, roughly 10,000 were sold on the first run, Grey Goose brand director Stacy Saltiel tells Popsugar. A record-breaking 738,000 Honey Deuces were served at last year's US Open, and more than 3.5 million since its tournament debut in 2007.
"It needed to be a tall, refreshing, sessionable drink. It's very hot in New York, and very humid, so you don't want a spirit-forward drink," says Honey Deuce inventor Nick Mautone. The longtime restaurateur, mixologist, and former Grey Goose ambassador was approached to create a refreshing vodka-based cocktail for the brand's second year of sponsoring the tournament, and his recipe still stands today.
"My mother used to make a summer dessert that was made with honeydew and blackberries. We had a blackberry bush in the backyard. She would douse the whole thing with orange juice," he says. While developing the cocktail, Mautone left a Grey Goose meeting searching for ideas, and on the way to his Long Island home prior to a dinner party, he picked up ingredients to make a "modern version" of his mother's fruit dessert. That's when the idea sparked for him.
Despite its easygoing flavor profile, the Honey Deuce's price tag is less accessible: the cocktail is priced at $23, which — on top of the ticket required to snag the official drink — may not be worth it to every attendee.
For those who do choose to imbibe, Mautone says the drink was engineered for high-traffic bars and quick service. The first official cocktail of the US Open needed to avoid any complicated or time-consuming steps for bartenders' ease. Mautone's first draft included fresh lemon juice and rosemary citrus syrup for a more "exotic, complex flavor," but it was ultimately simplified.
Now, appreciation spreads far beyond the gates of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, thanks to the power of social media. Content creators and celebrities alike post their obligatory Honey Deuce — right alongside your coworkers, friends, and neighbors. It's practically unthinkable to pass up at the once-yearly tournament.
"The naturalness of how it went viral is really important," Mautone says. "There's a lot of people who go to the US Open who are straight-laced, maybe not even posting on social media, but they're suddenly there and giggling at these honeydew melon balls."
FOMO is a powerful motivator, both for patrons of greater New York City bars and folks at home. Even beyond the US Open, the Honey Deuce can now be found at the Moxy, Long Island Bar, or within a private cocktail class at The Ritz-Carlton New York. There's an official Grey Goose Honey Deuce locator tool, as well.
The collectible cups also increase its desirability. You'll find cups from previous tournaments listed on resale sites like eBay, making a memento for tennis fans across the country.
Alcohol retailer Total Wine & More reports a national increase in related bottle sales during the tournament: Grey Goose and Chambord skyrocketed 243 percent during the final two weeks of the 2025 US Open as compared to the same period prior, a representative tells us via email. That's underscored by an 800 percent increase during the same timeframe in 2024, when the Honey Deuce rapidly gained traction on social platforms.
The appeal? Shockingly simple. "At its core, this cocktail is a straightforward yet elevated highball — three ingredients (not counting the honeydew melon garnish), no shaking needed — that centers around winning flavors of blackberry and lemon," Molly Horn, chief mixologist and Total Wine & More spirits educator, tells Popsugar.
Horn, who is also a certified sommelier, recommends choosing sparkling lemonade or elderflower liqueur for a twist on the Honey Deuce. Baron De Casterac, another black raspberry liqueur, is also an easy swap for Chambord, while Drillaud's blackberry liqueur offers a straightforward approach. We're also partial to a frozen, classic recipe over at the PS test kitchen.
There's a billion and one upscale cocktails on the market, but nearly two decades later, the Honey Deuce has managed to maintain its status symbol, even if just once a year.
Nicolette Baker is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Her expertise lies primarily in food, drink, and fashion media, but she enjoys covering all aspects of lifestyle with an accessible approach. She's written for Food & Wine, Byrdie, Business Insider, VinePair, and Flourish.
