The U.S. Open officially kicked off yesterday, and fans and sports enthusiasts are coming from everywhere to watch the tennis tournament in Queens, NY. But the pro-athletes aren’t the only stars of the U.S. Open. Honey Deuce, the official drink of the U.S. Open, is a cocktail that has garnered its own set of devoted fans.
The cocktail was created in 2006 by Nick Mautone, after Grey Goose Vodka (a popular sponsor for the tennis tournament) enlisted him to make a new cocktail for the U.S. Open. Mautone ended up being inspired by honeydew melons while at a farmer’s market, and thus, Honey Deuce was born. Since its creation in 2006, the cocktail has continued to break sale records to this day, with over 700,000 Honey Deuces being sold at the U.S. Open last year. But what exactly is Honey Deuce?
The cocktail is relatively simple, containing only four ingredients. And making the now-viral beverage is even easier. All you have to do is fill a glass with ice, pour 1 ¼ ounces of Grey Goose Vodka, top with 3 ounces of fresh lemonade and ½ ounces of raspberry liqueur, and garnish with three frozen honeydew melon balls on a skewer. Now, this recipe comes from Grey Goose Vodka themselves, but you can feel free to substitute the brand of vodka or add as many (or as few) melon balls as you’d like. At the U.S. Open, customers also have the option to get their Honey Deuce frozen, so if alcoholic slushes are your thing, you can still get in on the Honey Deuce craze. The U.S. Open also provides a virgin Honey Deuce, so no matter your age or drinking preferences, this beverage belongs to us all.
The name behind the beverage also holds significance, and not just in relation to its melon topping. While Honey Deuce is called so because it’s garnished with honeydew, the deuce portion of the name has its own importance. A deuce is an official term in tennis. For the sport, a deuce occurs when the score is tied 40-40 and both teams or players have scored three points each. When this happens, you need to win two points in a row for the win to be secured and the match ended. The cocktail’s name is a play on words, and delicious too? Sign me up immediately and tell me when I can get tickets to the U.S. Open next year.
While I’ve never been too into sports (I’m a theatre kid to my core), I can always appreciate a signature beverage. And after seeing how good the U.S. Open’s official drink looks, I might just have to watch some tennis now too.