The biggest star of the US Open: A cocktail that brought in $10 million
The Honey Deuce debuted in 2007. Grey Goose says 2.25 million have been sold at the US Open stadium.
One of the biggest draws of the US Open may not be swinging rackets on tennis courts but hanging out behind beverage stands.
The Honey Deuce, the tennis tournament’s official cocktail, has become an incessantly Instagrammable staple of the Open and a lucrative sales driver.
The drink was first served up in 2007, and Grey Goose says over 2.25 million have been sold on stadium grounds.
It has vodka, lemonade, Chambord, and a honeydew-melon ball garnish — a nod to tennis balls. The Honey Deuce was the brainchild of Nick Mautone, a restaurateur who consulted for Grey Goose in the early 2000s.
Last year, Grey Goose says, roughly 450,000 Deuces were sold at the Open. Priced at $22 apiece, they made for a roughly $9.9 million haul.
Ahead of this year’s tournament, Grey Goose called the Honey Deuce a “bonafide US Open icon.”
This year, the cocktail is a bit more expensive, at $23. In 2012, the Honey Deuce was just $14, per Morning Brew, and its price rise has substantially outpaced inflation.
Grey Goose will offer canned versions of the cocktail throughout the Open, and it will be available at roughly 140 bars across New York City.
The US Open even sells Honey Deuce-inspired merch.
The final Grand Slam of the tennis season kicked off Monday in Queens, New York, and will run through September 8. Organizers said qualifying matches last week broke attendance records.
