A vibrant scene unfolded at Louis Armstrong Stadium as a group of eight college friends paraded with a towering stack of 30 cups filled with the popular honey drink, a tradition at the tennis tournament.
They were there to catch a match featuring Taylor Fritz and Lloyd Harris, but it seemed the drinks were almost as much of an attraction as the game itself. The renowned Grey Goose Honey Deuce cocktails, which set them back $460, certainly didn’t go unnoticed—you could say the students were quite committed to the festivities.
“This is my first tennis match ever. I love tennis, but honestly, parties are my thing too,” shared James Feleps from Australia. The enthusiasm was palpable, especially since it was the start of the semester. “No one shows up for class anyway—so why not party?”, he joked.
Feleps, clearly excited, mentioned he’d be taking the cups home as a playful trophy after the event. “I just moved into a new place, so yeah, they’ll probably end up as some sort of kitchen decor,” he added with a chuckle.
Hamish Goonan, also from Australia, took it a step further by partaking in a local ritual of “shooting the boots.” He drew cheers from the crowd as he downed a honey drink outside the stadium. “It’s a little salty, a bit funky, but all in good fun,” he explained, likening it to an Australian tradition meant to amplify the party vibe.
“We’re just here to have a blast, stress-free,” Goonan said with a relaxed demeanor. “Yes, we’re watching tennis, but then it’s straight back to partying!”
Meanwhile, Michael Donovan from Queens tried to embody the spirit of the evening, honoring the connectivity of good drinks and camaraderie. He even smashed a glass on a stack of cups as part of the festivities, all while maintaining a lighthearted spirit about it. “I’m not in it for the long haul; I just want a good time,” he reflected.
For bartenders at the event, this riotous energy isn’t entirely new, but each year brings its own surprises. “These college kids, they come through with their stacks like you wouldn’t believe,” one bartender remarked. “Sometimes, it feels like they just want to push their limits, juggling twenty cups at a time.”
