All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Welcome to 5 O’Clock Somewhere, a new series in which our network of culinary all-stars share their favorite drinks—along with everything you need to serve them in style.
The Honey Deuce is a marvel of modern marketing. Nineteen years ago, restauranteur and Grey Goose brand ambassador Nick Mautone (his resume includes time as the former managing partner of Gramercy Tavern and hospitality director at the Rainbow Room, among other bona fides) was tasked with dreaming up a signature cocktail for the US Open. For decades mint juleps have been must-haves for viewing the Kentucky Derby and anyone who's anybody sips a Pimm's cup at Wimbledon—and Grey Goose, it's safe to assume, wanted to cement itself as a permanent part of the US Open experience.
As the story goes, inspiration struck Mautone when he was creating a fruity dessert for a dinner party he was hosting at his home in Hampton Bays (as one does). "I was at the kitchen counter making these honeydew melon balls and I just said to my wife, 'Oh my God, these look like tennis balls,'" Mautone says. He borrowed the flavor profile from his dessert—berries, citrus, melon, and a hint of rosemary—added the required Grey Goose vodka, and, Voilà! The Honey Deuce.
Is it on the nose to serve a cocktail that literally looks like sporting equipment at a Grand Slam tournament? Absolutely. But lucky for Grey Goose and for tennis fans, the Honey Deuce is also delightful on the palate. What better to sip on a late summer afternoon or evening than, essentially, a spiked raspberry lemonade?
Millions agree, making the Honey Deuce a hit: According to Grey Goose, nearly 3 million have been sold since the drink's debut in 2007, but the Deuce really hit its stride in 2024, with over 550,000 enjoyed during last year’s tournament alone.
But you don't need to hoof it out to Queens to enjoy the drink. Below, Mautone shares the Honey Deuce's official recipe, some ideas for snazzing it up, and all the gear you need to make and serve it at your US Open watch party.
The Honey Deuce
Ingredients:
- 1¼ oz Grey Goose vodka
- 3 oz fresh lemonade
- ½ oz raspberry liquor
- 3 honeydew melon balls (frozen) for garnish
Preparation:
- Fill a highball glass with cubed ice
- Add vodka, then top with lemonade and raspberry liqueur
- Garnish with your melon balls on a skewer
The gear you need
Vodka and raspberry liqueur
One of the original stipulations for the cocktail was that it needed to feature Grey Goose's flagship vodka, not any flavored varieties. You of course can sub in your vodka of choice, but why mess with an icon?
Highball glass
According to Mautone, "The simplest, easiest glass to use is a highball glass." You can go chic with classic crystal, or choose kitsch with something more playful. "A couple of years ago I was hosting a US Open party and bought about 30 of the signature Honey Deuce glasses on eBay," he says.
"I also love putting the Honey Deuce in a nice, big balloon wine glass for the very simple reason that it looks elegant," says Mautone. For a ritzy spin on the original recipe worthy of such a classy glass, he recommends adding a splash of off-dry sparkling wine or seltzer. "It's a little bit fizzy, a little bit tart, a little bit sweet. And the sparkling wine also cuts the sweetness," he says.
Melon baller
Uh duh, can't forget this, lest you end up with melon cubes in your drink. (What is this, Picasso's tennis tournament?) Mautone says you don't need to spend a lot of money on your Parisienne scoop—one of his go-to brands for kitchen tools is Oxo. "The brand's products are just designed well," he says.
Cocktail pick
A regular toothpick or wooden kitchen skewer is totally fine. But if you're hosting, why not choose something fun for your Honey Deuce's pièce de résistance? "I've actually done this—you can go on Amazon or Etsy and find these fantastic picks," says Mautone. "I found a three-inch pick with little tennis balls on the end."
Rosemary citrus syrup
Mautone's original recipe used fresh-squeezed lemon instead of lemonade and incorporated a rosemary citrus syrup. Because drinks need to be doled out fast at the Open, the syrup was nixed for today's stadium-friendly version, but Mautone highly recommends trying this elevated take at home. You can buy a premade cordial, or make your own.
"One part water, one part sugar, the peel of two lemons, just the yellow zest of a lemon and two branches of rosemary dropped into the liquid. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved," instructs Mautone. "And then you can either let it go a little bit longer to get a little more of that rosemary extraction or just turn off the stove, let it cool down, and strain it off." Add about a half ounce to your drink to give it more complexity.
Pitcher
"I'm an unabashed fan of pre-batching a signature cocktail for my evening. I've gone to the lengths of even making a classic gin or vodka martini, chilling it down over ice, straining it, and then putting it into the fridge and just letting it sit there," Mautone says. "You can have the base completely ready so all you have to do is pour it into a glass and garnish it."
While Mautone usually builds the Honey Deuce right in the glass, he says "you can batch the recipe quite easily, quite deliciously" when you're serving a crowd. Just multiply every ingredient by six or eight and you’re ready to go.
Read more
- Find everything you need for your summer entertaining
- Why senior writer Emily Farris always keeps a batched Negroni in her fridge
- Elevate your bar with wow-worthy glassware
