Honey Deuce cocktail celebrates its 20th year at the US Open in the United States
In New York, United States, the signature Honey Deuce cocktail is celebrating its 20th year at the US Open tennis tournament. The drink, sold at the tennis complex in Flushing Meadows, has become one of the tournament’s traditional features.
As Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters, Honey Deuce was first introduced in 2007. It contains vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur. The drink is garnished with three honeydew melon balls, which, according to the recipe’s creator, restaurateur Nick Mautone, are meant to resemble tennis balls.
From 25,000 to 800,000 servings
In 2007, the first batch of 25,000 cocktails, priced at $12 per drink, sold out completely. Last year, the number of servings sold reached approximately 800,000, and one cocktail now costs $23.
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Danny Zausner, chief operating officer of the USTA National Tennis Center, said one source of inspiration for creating the cocktail was the mint julep, the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby. According to him, the organizers initially did not expect sales to grow from 25,000 to 800,000 servings.
Collectible cups
Honey Deuce’s popularity is also supported by collectible plastic cups. Every year, the names of all previous US Open champions are printed on them, so the text is becoming increasingly smaller. Such cups are regularly sold on eBay, and during the tournament they often run out before it ends.
For the tournament, a separate team prepares from 2.5 million to 3 million melon balls. US Open hospitality partner Levy mixes the cocktails in advance in special containers. This year, the US Open accredited about 100 content creators, 20 of whom specialize in food and beverages.
