Still on court after 20 years, the Honey Deuce keeps winning at the US Open

The Honey Deuce has become as familiar at the U.S. Open as the tennis itself. Twenty years after its debut, the cocktail continues to draw fans across Flushing Meadows, from outer courts to luxury suites.

Wimbledon has its Pimm’s Cup and the Kentucky Derby its mint julep. At the U.S. Open, the Grey Goose vodka cocktail has claimed that role. Its rise coincided with the rapid spread of social media, while its collectible plastic glass turned each drink into a souvenir.

“

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.

The glass is printed each year with the names of every past U.S. Open champion. As the list grows, the names appear in increasingly smaller type. The glasses regularly appear for sale on eBay and often sell out before the tournament ends.

Danny Zausner, chief operating officer of the USTA National Tennis Center, said the idea drew partly on the mint julep. After visiting the first race in the famed Triple Crown series, he saw spectators carrying multiple glasses as mementos. “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,” Zausner said. “There was not a real social media presence then but for them that meant you arrived, you were at the Derby.”

The Honey Deuce combines vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur. Its first run in 2007 sold out at 25,000 drinks priced at $12 each. Last year, sales reached about 800,000, with each drink costing $23. Three honeydew melon balls top every cocktail, a garnish designed by restaurateur Nick Mautone to resemble tennis balls.

“

There was not a real social media presence then but for them that meant you arrived, you were at the Derby.

A dedicated team scoops between 2.5 million and 3 million melon balls for the tournament, while hospitality partner Levy premixes the drinks. The U.S. Open accredited about 100 creators this year, including 20 focused specifically on food and beverages, further accelerating the cocktail’s visibility.

The Australian Open and Grey Goose tried to reproduce the formula in 2025 with the Grey Goose Lemon Ace, which sold more than 100,000 units in its first year. “I’d be lying if I said I had the foresight to think that 25,000 was going to turn into 800,000,” Zausner said.

“

I’d be lying if I said I had the foresight to think that 25,000 was going to turn into 800,000.