The name Nick Mautone may be unfamiliar to tennis fans, but anyone that’s been to the US Open will be all too familiar with his creation due to its stratospheric cult status.
The Honey Deuce cocktail, the US Open’s official drink, was first served at the tournament in 2006, after restauranteur and mixologist Nick Mautone was approached by vodka brand Grey Goose, a sponsor of the US Open, to customise a cocktail with a tennis theme.
Mini tennis balls
The inspiration for the melon tennis ball garnish came to Mautone after spotting honey dew melons at a farmer’s market, which he decided could be made into mini tennis balls, after bringing a melon home and carving it for a fruit salad.
A star was born that day in Mautone’s kitchen!
Who would have thought that a drink could eclipse the tennis, but at the US Open, it is omnipresent.
If there’s not a Honey Deuce bar within volleying distance, there are reminders of it everywhere – including the viral trend of people walking around playing Honey Deuce Jenga – towers piled as high as possible, to make it to the gram or TikTok.
At the very least, a souvenir to take home and enjoy, as the trophy signature highball glass is branded with the Honey Deuce logo, year and names of past champions.
Huge demand
Such is its popularity and demand, that bars such as Stout across New York City are now serving this seasonal occasion-specific cocktail, in its trophy signature keep-sake cup.
Don’t have a ticket to the tennis?
You won’t miss out – you can have the Honey Deuce experience at a bar whilst watching the tennis on a big screen.
Each grand slam has its own cocktail associated with the tournament.
Wimbledon has Pimms, the Australian Open has the Lemon Ace, and the French Open has the Ace Royal.
But none have quite reached the dizzying heights of the Honey Deuce.
Cult status
Unlike its counterparts from the other slams, the Honey Deuce’s cult status has resulted in its own merch line at the official store.
In 2024, the store had two clothing items dedicated to the drink, which sold out within the first few days: A navy t-shirt (featuring the cocktail’s recipe on the back), and a trucker style cap, with ‘Honey Deuce’ emblazoned in vintage style lettering.
This year, there is a whole line, well-stocked to meet the demand: Two t-shirt styles, four types of caps, a towel, a pin-badge, and even a scented candle!
As for the drink itself, there are two types: Regular or iced.
Walking around the grounds of the Open, a common sight is that of fans walking around excitedly collecting their ‘Honey Deuce towers’ – piles of empty Honey Deuce souvenir cups.
With great success comes greater revenue.
At $23 (R404) each, the drink isn’t cheap, but has become a multi-million-dollar production.
In 2024 the US Open sold more than half a million Honey Deuces. That’s 556 782 cocktails priced at $23 each, totalling $12.8 million.
So, what does it taste like?
The South African’s Amisha Savani tried one (for research purposes only!).
Served in a highball glass, the drink is perfectly suited to its setting. It is refreshing thanks to the lemonade and ice, with tart, sweet notes. Enough to refresh, cool down and rejuvenate from day to night matches.
The concoction is a mixture of vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur, garnished with the star of the show: Three honeydew melon balls, resembling miniature tennis balls. The ‘deuce’, a play on the type of melon (honeydew). (Tip: if you can’t make it to New York, the recipe can be found here).
Incredibly, each melon ball is scooped by hand in the Baldor facility in the Bronx, as industrial melon ballers don’t yet exist.
Although with the increasing numbers of melon balls required each year, it is only a matter of time before someone invents a machine.
The melons, called King of the West Honeydew melons, are sourced from a single farm in California, and kept on the vine for as long as possible to retain their sweetness.
So, if you are lucky enough to sample one, spare a thought for the human that scooped out your three out of the 2.3 million melon balls that have made it to the US Open!
Amisha Savani is reporting exclusively from the US Open in Flushing Meadows for The South African.
What’s the best cocktail you’ve ever tasted?
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