It's no exaggeration to say that the Honeyduce cocktail, which debuted at the 2006 U.S. Open, is today as popular as the tennis tournament itself.
In one example, there was an awkward moment during an episode this week when a man was returning to his seat with two cocktails – one of which was presumably for the woman sitting next to him – only to be overtaken by another man sitting in the row behind him.
But the U.S. Open's signature cocktail might not have been what it is today if a man hadn't purchased a Honeydew Melon Ball before a weekend in the Hamptons a few years ago.
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Fox News Digital spoke with Nick Mortone, a bartender and hospitality industry consultant who serves as a brand ambassador for Grey Goose Vodka, about the creation of the drink.
Motone, a New York native who now lives in Seattle, said he was asked to create a new cocktail for the U.S. Open when Grey Goose became the event's official beverage sponsor in 2006.
The Honeyduce is the U.S. Open's signature cocktail, pictured right, and is the brainchild of New York bartender Nick Mortone. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images, Nick Mortone)
Mortone was driving home through the Hamptons when he stopped to buy ingredients for a dessert salad he was making for a guest.
On the shopping list were honeydew melon balls.
“Immediately lightning struck and I said, 'Oh my goodness, this looks like a tennis ball,'” Mautone told Fox News Digital.
“Wow, this looks just like a tennis ball.”
“So from that moment on, I knew it was a non-negotiable garnish.”
Mautone showed the decoration to the Grey Goose brand team, who “fell in love” with it, and he also shared it with U.S. Open staff.
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“Foodservice people weren't too keen on the idea of making large quantities of honeydew melon balls,” Mautone said.
That was until they found a company that “makes hundreds of thousands of melon balls every day and ships them fresh to the U.S. Open.”
The U.S. Open Honeydew is made with Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, and a “drizzle” of Chambord black raspberry liqueur. A honeydew melon ball is used as a garnish. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Mortone experimented with “several versions” of the cocktail, including one using blackberry liqueur, before settling on the final recipe.
It includes Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, a “drizzle” of Chambord black raspberry liqueur, and, of course, a honeydew melon ball.
The goal, Mautone said, is to “avoid making drinks that are so complicated that the bartender can actually serve them without getting frustrated.”
“Oh my goodness, it's become a cultural icon.”
“It's a very simple two- or three-step process for a bartender to make this drink,” he added. “We're also very particular about making tall drinks.”
With the tournament taking place in New York in August, Mautone said he doesn't want to drink too many spirits because they have too much alcohol and don't taste good in the summer heat.
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Mautone said he thought customers were “starting to get bored of beer and other alcoholic beverages” and that Honeydeuces came along at just the right time.
“Oh my goodness, it's become a cultural icon,” Mautone said.
The inspiration for the Honeydew cocktail came from honeydew melon balls, which resemble small tennis balls. (Grey Goose, iStock)
He attributes a lot of it to “good old-fashioned guerilla marketing.”
“It went viral,” he said.
Because the cocktail was created before Instagram existed, and social media was still in its infancy, the Honeyduce didn't become famous outside of Queens, New York until much later.
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“Because of social media, the honeydew melon balls in particular have become a cultural phenomenon, and I think a lot of people see them as a great accompaniment to a tennis match,” Mautone said.
“So it's a very approachable, refreshing, inviting, Instagram-worthy drink.”
The Honeyduce has been the U.S. Open's signature cocktail since Grey Goose took over as beverage sponsor in 2006. (Grey Goose)
Honey Deuce has been creating a buzz recently after its price increase, now selling for $23.
It sold for $22 at last year's tournament.
Mautone said he thinks the price for the drink, which comes with a commemorative cup, is appropriate.
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“If I order a craft cocktail at a great craft cocktail bar in Midtown Manhattan or Brooklyn, I'm likely to pay $18,” he said.
“So, to me, $23 is not that much compared to the experience you get at one of the greatest sporting events in the country.”
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Mautone said he plans to play in the U.S. Open.
And when asked if he planned on ordering a Honeydeuce while he was there, he replied emphatically: “Of course.”
