By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) – The Honey Deuce has become as much a part of the U.S. Open as tennis itself, with the tournament’s signature cocktail celebrating its 20th year and drawing fans across Flushing Meadows, from the outer courts to the luxury suites.
While Wimbledon has Pimm’s Cup and the Kentucky Derby has the mint julep, the U.S. Open has made the Grey Goose vodka-laced treat its own, as the cocktail’s rise has coincided with the rapid adoption of social media since its debut in 2007.
A key part of the drink’s popularity is its collectible plastic glass, which is printed each year with the names of every past U.S. Open champion in ever-smaller font as the roll call of title winners grows. The glasses have become sought-after souvenirs, regularly appearing for sale on eBay and often selling out before the tournament ends.
The drink owes its inspiration, in part, to the mint julep, after USTA National Tennis Center’s COO Danny Zausner took a trip to the first race in the famed Triple Crown series.
“I saw women with their gorgeous hats and four-inch heels and they’d literally be walking around with a half a dozen glasses because they were mementos,” said Zausner. “There was not a real social media presence then but for them that meant you arrived – you were at the Derby.”
In 2007, the cocktail — a blend of vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur — sold out its initial run of 25,000 drinks, which were priced at $12 each.
Last year, that number climbed to around 800,000, now costing $23 a pop. Each drink is topped with three honeydew melon balls, a garnish selected by restaurateur Nick Mautone, who created the recipe and said they were intended to resemble tennis balls.
A dedicated team is responsible for scooping anywhere between 2.5 million to 3 million balls of melon to ensure more than enough are available for the tournament, while the tournament’s hospitality partners Levy pre-mix the cocktails.
“Levy has a team whose sole purpose is to take these casks, pretty much the equivalent of a beer keg on a slightly smaller scale, and pre-batch the exact amount,” said Zausner.
The advent of social media has only accelerated the drink’s popularity. The U.S. Open accredited around 100 creators this year, with 20 specifically dedicated to food and beverages.
The Australian Open and Grey Goose hoped to recreate the success with the launch of another cocktail in 2025 – the Grey Goose Lemon Ace – selling more than 100,000 units sold in the inaugural year.
“I’d be lying if I said I had the foresight to think that 25,000 was going to turn into 800,000,” said Zausner.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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