You Can Make the U.S. Open’s Iconic Cocktail Right at Home
We asked the creator of the Honey Deuce for the story behind the drink — and for his best tips on making it.
Monica Schipper
Some occasions call for a cocktail, and in the sporting world, some occasions call for a specific cocktail. You might be familiar with some of these sippable traditions, whether it be mint juleps for the Kentucky Derby or the Pimm’s Cup at Wimbledon. And this August, as tennis greats from around the globe descend on the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York, spectators in the stands and at home will be tipping back the bright, refreshing Honey Deuce.
So how did this tradition start — and what, exactly, is in a Honey Deuce? I went straight to the inventor to find out more about this appropriately named, summer-ready drink.
What is a Honey Deuce cocktail?
The Honey Deuce is a vodka-based cocktail that is served as the official drink of the U.S. Open tennis tournament each summer. Created for event sponsor Grey Goose, the beverage is a blend of Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, raspberry liqueur and honeydew melon. That last ingredient gives the drink its name and its tennis tie-in, as a trio of honeydew melon balls on a skewer are served as a garnish and happen to look like little tennis balls. The name is a play on the melon, but also the “deuce” in tennis scoring, when two players are tied 40-40 and one must then score two points to win the game. The official recipe is available at greygoose.com.
What's the story behind the Honey Deuce cocktail at the U.S. Open?
While there’s no mythical lore or lengthy history tied to the Honey Deuce, it is a modern tradition that has been tied to the U.S. Open for nearly 20 years, with over 740,000 sold at the 2025 event, and millions more throughout the past two decades.
In 2007, Vodka brand Grey Goose, a sponsor of the tournament, tapped notable mixologist, restaurant manager and author Nick Mautone — who has managed the likes of Gotham Bar and Grill, Gramercy Tavern and The Rainbow Room in New York City — to create a bespoke beverage for the event.
“A cocktail for a major event has to do more than taste good," Mautone tells Food Network via email. “It needs to make sense for the setting, be memorable to the guest and be executable by bartenders who may be serving thousands of people during a single shift.”
It’s a slightly different mindset than creating a cocktail for a restaurant or bar, where Mautone says he has “more freedom to use intricate techniques, unusual ingredients or a more elaborate presentation because the drink is being made one at a time.”
Ultimately, though the idea behind the Honey Deuce was “very personal,” Mautone tells us.
“I was making a summer dessert inspired by something my mother served when I was growing up,” he says. “My mom’s summer dessert was honeydew melon and blackberries, doused with freshly squeezed orange juice ... As I was forming the melon balls, lightning struck — they looked exactly like tennis balls. I knew immediately that they had to be the non-negotiable garnish, regardless of where the rest of the recipe landed.”
Mautone adds that not only do the honeydew melon balls bring a “fruit freshness” to the drink, they also “bring a little bit of joy and euphoria, which is part of what makes it so much fun.”
“When I created the cocktail with Grey Goose, the goal was to capture the spirit of the U.S. Open in a drink that was refreshing, approachable, and unmistakably tied to tennis,” Mautone explains. “None of us could have predicted that it would become such an enduring part of the tournament.”
And Mautone says he is still experiencing a taste of those emotions all these years later.
“What I love most is seeing the unbridled joy around it,” he tells us. “Friends send me photographs from the Open, people collect the cups, and fans make their own versions for watch parties at home. The Honey Deuce has become part of how people experience the tournament. I am incredibly proud to have created it.”
Mautone's tips for making a Honey Deuce cocktail at home:
While the Grey Goose and the liqueur are relatively consistent, the inclusion of fresh lemonade had me wondering if Mautone envisions a certain flavor profile, considering lemonade is one of those recipes that falls on a very subjective spectrum from sweet to tart.
For the Honey Deuce, Mautone recommends a lemonade on the sour side, adding that the raspberry liqueur will bring its own fruitiness and sweetness to the mix.
“For someone making lemonade at home, the important thing is balance rather than following one rigid formula,” he says. “Start with fresh lemon juice, sweeten it enough to soften the acidity, dilute it with cold water and taste. It should remain lively and a little tart because the raspberry liqueur and melting ice will round it out in the finished cocktail.”
Another variable? The fresh fruit factor. While summer is peak melon season, picking a ripe one can often feel like a hit or miss exercise. Mautone has some cues to look for.
“Honeydew can be a little deceptive because color alone does not always tell you everything," he says. “Look for a melon that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy, pale-yellow exterior rather than a very green one. The melon should be firm yet soft, with a soft, hollow thump when you tap it.”
The old smelling a melon trick also helps, but anything too fragrant might also be too soft.
“For this drink, texture is especially important," he adds. “An overripe melon may taste wonderful, but it will not hold that recognizable tennis-ball shape on the garnish pick.”
Speaking of visual appeal, I also asked Mautone for advice on scooping the perfect melon ball.
“Start with a cold, firm melon and use a sharp melon baller,” Mautone advises. “Press the scoop fully into the flesh and rotate your wrist in one continuous motion. Scraping across the surface tends to create partial balls, while a confident circular motion produces a cleaner shape.”
With that technique, Mautone says each half melon should yield about 30 perfect little spheres, or enough for ten Honey Deuces. Sounds like a U.S. Open watch party waiting to happen.
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