At the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, no item is more synonymous with the U.S. Open than the Honey Deuce.
This alcoholic drink, a mix of vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur garnished with three tennis-ball-shaped honeydew melons, is as much a part of the annual tennis tournament in Queens as the sport itself, overtaking other matches each year to become one of the highlights.
With record numbers of spectators seemingly flocking to Queens every day during the U.S. Open, it's impossible not to see a spectator sipping a drink.
The drink seems to have taken on a life of its own.
“Did we think it would be popular? Did we think people would enjoy it? Did we think they'd want to order more? Absolutely,” Honeyduce founder and restaurateur Nick Mouton told the Post. “Once social media took hold, people were able to email photos around the world and share photos with friends all over the world. Social media has evolved on its own since then.”
Last year, more than 450,000 Honeyduce were served during the U.S. Open's two-week run from late August to early September, and sales of the drink are expected to exceed $10 million this year.
But its cultural significance extends beyond the drinks served in commemorative cups bearing the names of past U.S. Open winners, which this year saw them disappear from shelves within days of the Open starting and bars across the city creating their own Honeyduce during the two-week tournament.
Nike released a Honeyduce-inspired sneaker on the final day of the U.S. Open last year, and Serena Williams made waves when she posted a video of herself trying on a Honeyduce for the first time during this year's tournament.
The jury is still out on what it is that will draw audiences to the drink.
For some, the cups are the thing in themselves, whether it be as a keepsake or the goal being to collect as many as possible.
Tim Kouzis, 41, had a stack of 11 on Saturday, some of which he had received from friends, and Milan Suzuki, 31, who was at the open with his girlfriend and some friends and told The Washington Post near the stands, had a stack of eight.
“I think part of it is for the keepsakes, but for some it's how many they can collect, so it's just for fun,” he explained. “I come here every year and have a great time. This is my third time here, and I hope to keep coming… or maybe not.” [collect] Even if you have that many tickets, save one or two to watch professional tennis.”
Suzuki joked that the split between watching tennis and drinking Honeydeuces was “60/40” — though he wouldn't say which was the larger amount — but he did call the cocktail a “great icebreaker” for getting to know people in an open environment.
Social media has certainly helped spread the novelty of this $23 drink over the years.
Rebecca Ilera was in town from Brazil over the weekend to watch the U.S. Open with her cousin and said she saw the “cute” drink on social media.
“I think it's become a big trend on social media. I think everyone knows that if you go to the U.S. Open, you have this drink,” Hussein Sharaf, 36, said.
Friends Zoe Snow, 24, and Dalia Ghassemi, 26, would probably agree, noting that the term has spread across social media, with Snow specifically pointing out TikTok as the place where she sees it most often used.
Ghassemi had seen reports about the huge profits the drink was bringing in, which was another reason he felt he needed to try it.
“Once it started to get publicized, I was like, 'I have to see what this is all about,'” she said.
For Megan Gallagher, 25, who was there with Ghassemi, Snow and friend SK Mitchell, 25, part of the appeal was that she had played in the U.S. Open before and had seen her parents drinking Honeyduce.
The Long Island native explained that when she spoke with her father before traveling to the British Open this weekend, he gave her one piece of advice.
“He said he had to ask for a Honeyduce drink,” she said.
Ben Powis (23), who was watching the Open with his college tennis teammates Josh Fleischman (23) and Sumuk Pati (25), had a similar experience, having regularly attended the annual event since growing up.
“I think in a way it's kind of a feedback thing where I see everybody drinking it and I want to try it,” he said, adding that he enjoyed the cocktail. “I used to come to the U.S. Open as a kid and I always saw everybody drinking it, so as soon as I turned 21 I just wanted to try it.”
While the drink's $23 price tag still came as a shock to most people The Washington Post spoke to, they all seemed willing to shell out the cash for the now-famous drink.
The U.S. Open offers a number of other signature cocktails — Dobelle Tequila sells the Ace Paloma on-site, complete with souvenir glass, and Moet & Chandon serves up champagne in gold goblets — but the Honey Deuce remains the winner.
“We have drinks for every palate, but the Honeyduce is the one that resonates with the most people,” said Chris Studley, managing director of event services at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
