The truth about the US Open's famous $23 Honey Deuce cocktail – and how to make a much cheaper version at home

The Honey Deuce cocktail is synonymous with the US Open, but at $23 a drink, you and your wallet will not end up with nothing.

Fortunately, eager bartenders have perfected the recipe at home – and at a fraction of the cost.

The sweet pink drink is made with Grey Goose vodka, raspberry liqueur and lemonade and garnished with three honeydew melon balls on a toothpick that look like tennis balls.

The fruity drink has enjoyed great popularity in tennis since Grey Goose, a long-time sponsor of the US Open, began serving it at the Grand Slam tournament in 2007.

The famous recipe was created in 2006 by bartender and restaurant owner Nick Mautone. He told Business Insider that the inspiration for creating the refreshing drink came from a visit to a farmers market in Hampton Bays, New York.

The Honey Deuce cocktail is synonymous with the US Open, but at $23 a drink, you and your wallet will not be thrilled at the end of the match.

The name is a mix of “honeydew” and the tennis term “deuce” – when a game is tied 40-40 – and is served in a commemorative plastic cup.

Mautone, Grey Goose's ambassador at the time, was preparing a salad when he came up with the idea for a summer drink.

“The 'salad' consisted of honeydew melon balls, blackberries, rosemary citrus syrup and a shot of vodka,” Mautone told the outlet, adding that it was “garnished with sorbet.”

While preparing the salad, Mautone noticed that the melon balls looked like tennis balls – and he knew he had to incorporate them into the drink.

“I knew this was the garnish that had to go into the drink,” he enthused.

While the recipe has now been simplified to make it easier to prepare larger batches, bartender Mautone revealed to Business Insider that his original mix was a bit more complicated.

He explained that instead of the three simple ingredients commonly used today, they used rosemary, lemon juice instead of lemonade, sparkling water and blackberry liqueur.

However, the melon balls have been retained in all iterations.

The pink drink is made with Grey Goose vodka, raspberry liqueur and lemonade and is garnished with three honeydew melon balls on a toothpick that look like tennis balls.

“The honeydew melon balls were non-negotiable,” Mautone explained.

The photogenic drink was a hit, selling a record-breaking 460,275 units throughout the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens in 2023, generating over $10.1 million in sales.

On TikTok, tennis fans and cocktail enthusiasts are now mixing the drink at home, costing less than $10 per serving, depending on the size and brand of alcohol purchased.

“It only has three ingredients, so you'll have to get me some really good lemonade,” said inventor Clara Pierce in a video while preparing it.

“I'll show you how to make one of these easily and for a fraction of the price,” suggested another cocktail lover, while his followers thanked him for sharing.

According to Grey Goose, more than 2.2 million Honey Deuce cocktails have been sold since 2007.

The price of the popular Honey Deuce has almost doubled since 2007. From $11, the price has increased fivefold and even increased from $22 to $23 last year.

Recently, 42-year-old tennis legend Serena Williams tried the cocktail to see if it was worth all the viral hype, and she was not disappointed.

In her TikTok video, Serena said: “So I'm at the US Open drinking the famous Honey Deuce and everyone says, 'Have you ever had one?' and I say, 'No, because I've been playing forever.'”

“But I like my Honey Deuce with Cincoro and you know I’m more of a tequila [girl].'

After taking a sip, she seemed pleasantly surprised by the great taste and said, “Honey, this isn't Deuce – it's called Honey Ace. Let's rename it. It's good.”

She rolled her eyes as she savored her sip and added, “Oh boy. Try it.”