Honey Deuce

The official cocktail of the U.S. Open, combining vodka, fresh lemonade, and raspberry liqueur topped with honeydew melon balls that look like tennis balls.

ABV

178

Calories

Highball

Glass

Flavor Profile

raspberry•citrus•refreshing•sweet

Flavor Journey

Sweet

Sour

Bitter

Strong

Ingredients

Each component plays a crucial role.

Vodka

1.25 oz

Lemonade

5 oz

Chambord

0.5 oz

Method

Technique transforms ingredients into something extraordinary.

Fill a chilled highball glass with crushed ice and add the vodka

Top with lemonade to just below the rim, then add the Chambord

Garnish with honeydew melon balls

Glassware

Highball

Served over crushed ice in a highball glass

Garnish

Honeydew melon balls

Four melon balls skewered

Master's Tips

Professional insights to elevate your craft

Juice your own lemons and keep the batch chilled—store-bought lemonade tastes like defeat

Pre-freeze melon balls so they double as edible ice

A bar spoon of simple syrup balances tart lemons if your berries are shy

Grey Goose is traditional, but a small-batch vodka gives it indie cred

Variations & Riffs

Classic cocktails inspire countless variations. Here are some popular riffs on the Honey Deuce.

Other Variations

Frozen Honey Deuce

Minor Tweak

Blended with a scoop of crushed ice for a slushy riff that's basically tennis-side sorbet.

Changes

Honey Deuce Spritz

Minor Tweak

Swaps half the lemonade for fizzy water and invites a bruised mint leaf to the party—lighter, brighter, brunch-ready.

Changes

Fresh Lemonade:5 oz → 2.5 oz

→ Sparkling Water(2.5 oz)

→ Mint Leaf(2 leaves)

Bourbon Deuce

Major Variation

Trades vodka for high-rye bourbon and adds a dash of peach bitters for a honeyed, stone-fruit backbone.

Changes

Vodka → Bourbon(1.25 oz)

→ Peach Bitters(2 dashes)

History & Heritage

“Grey Goose tapped bar whisperer Nick Mautone in 2007 to craft a signature serve for the sweltering New York fortnight. His answer: a crushable vodka lemonade kissed with Chambord and crowned with honeydew spheres that cosplay as tennis balls. Since then the Honey Deuce has become the Open's unofficial currency—more than a quarter‑million poured each tournament—with copycats showing up at every backyard watch party from Brooklyn rooftops to Portland porches.”