The Celeb-Favorite U.S. Open Honey Deuce Cocktail Is Back — Here’s How to Make It at Home
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Nothing really takes over social media like a trendy cocktail. There’s the rise of the espresso martini, terrorizing bartenders and martini purists alike. There’s the meme-worthy negroni sbagliato (with prosecco) to go with 2022’s hottest show. And then there’s Grey Goose’s Honey Deuce, which has become as synonymous with the U.S. Open as strawberries and cream is at Wimbledon. (Get U.S. Open Tickets)
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Since 2007, over 1.8 million Honey Deuce cocktails have been served at the United States’ only Grand Slam tournament in Queens, New York. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Ratajkowski, and the Hadid sisters have enjoyed the drink created by hospitality guru and restaurateur Nick Mautone. Since 2015, there’s been a whopping 88 percent increase in orders (each will set you back $22). You get it, you Instagram it, you drink it. If you didn’t order a Honey Deuce, did you even go to the U.S. Open?
“While the drink is truly delicious, it is the honeydew melon balls that created the social media presence and iconography the cocktail enjoys today,” Mautone tells Rolling Stone about the Grey Goose-based cocktail. Mautone reveals that he had cooked up several iterations of the Honey Deuce before landing on the drink fans know it as today. One early iteration included rosemary syrup and blackberry liqueur, but the drink was too hard and inconvenient for the stadium to produce in large quantities. Then, it clicked.
“I picked up some honeydew melons and blackberries for a dessert I was making for house guests,” Mautone said. “While prepping the honeydew melon balls it just clicked that these looked like tennis balls. The rest is history.”
Out of the dozens of celebrities who have been photographed enjoying the Honey Deuce at the U.S. Open, Mautone is most chuffed about a tennis great and an iconic morning TV pairing. “I always love hearing John McEnroe and other announcers mention it on air. My personal favorite was seeing Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.”
If you live in New York but can’t make it to Flushing, Grey Goose has introduced a Honey Deuce Express delivery system to get the drink to your door. Fans outside of the city looking to enjoy the U.S. Open from the comfort of their couch (and A.C.) can still get in on the Honey Deuce tradition by making the cocktail with four ingredients.
Grey Goose Vodka
U.S. Open Honey Deuce Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients:
1.25 oz Grey Goose vodka
3 oz fresh lemonade
0.5 oz raspberry liqueur
Frozen honeydew melon balls
Instructions: Chill a glass by placing it in the refrigerator or by filling it with ice water for 5 minutes. Fill the glass with ice. Add vodka. Top with fresh lemonade. Add raspberry liqueur. Garnish with skewer of 1 or multiple frozen honeydew melon balls.
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