The Honey Deuce cocktail, made with Grey Goose vodka, lemonade, raspberry liqueur, and honeydew melon balls as a garnish, has become a popular drink at the US Open tournament in recent years. Last year, a staggering 450,000 of these $22 drinks were sold at the event. This year, the Honey Deuce has taken on a life of its own, with merchandise, home cocktail pods, and a record number of bars across New York City serving official and unofficial versions of the cocktail. Grey Goose, the French vodka brand that sponsors the US Open, invented the drink nearly two decades ago.
Bars across the city have been offering the Honey Deuce well ahead of the US Open tournament. Fulton Hall in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, and Haven rooftop in Midtown were among the first to put the drink on their menus this year, with customers already enjoying it even before the tournament began. Even those who are not tennis fans have been drawn to the Honey Deuce, including Manhattanites like Chloe Kinnison, who enjoyed the drink at Dante in the West Village, calling it “cute” and loving the melon ball garnish.
The popularity of the Honey Deuce soared in 2020 when spectators were not allowed at the US Open due to the pandemic. Grey Goose began offering a canned version of the drink for home use and the USTA started selling Honey Deuce T-shirts and hats. The merchandise has been a hit, with the T-shirt being the number one selling item for the USTA. Additionally, other companies have capitalized on the cocktail’s popularity, with Bartesian offering Honey Deuce cocktail pods for home use.
In addition to official Honey Deuce offerings, many bars and restaurants in New York City have put their own spin on the cocktail, creating unique variations. Dante, for example, swaps pineapple and honey for raspberry liqueur in its version, while Jac’s on Bond uses yuzu liqueur. At events such as a rooftop party celebrating women in tennis at the William Vale hotel, guests have enjoyed the cocktail in crystal glasses, adding to the excitement for the tournament even for those who are not typically tennis fans.
For those interested in making the Honey Deuce at home, the recipe is simple: fill a chilled highball glass with cubed ice, add 1.25 ounces of Grey Goose vodka, top with 3 ounces of fresh lemonade, pour in 0.5 ounces of raspberry liqueur, and garnish with three honeydew melon balls on a skewer. Grey Goose offers a locator on their website to find bars and restaurants serving the official Honey Deuce, while other establishments offer their own unique versions of the cocktail. The Honey Deuce has truly become a phenomenon at the US Open and beyond, capturing the hearts of cocktail enthusiasts and tennis fans alike.
