Why Is the Honey Deuce Still the Signature Cocktail of the US Open?

Next year this drink is 20 years old. It's fine, but aside from the garnish, it doesn't have the balls to match the renewed energy of the American grand slam.

My own U.S. Open photos pre-date the iPhone and aren’t very good. Here’s a stock photo via Canva.

The Championships, Wimbledon has English strawberries and Sipsmith Gin to represent the Brits. Roland-Garros (the French Open) has the très chic Ace Royal Champagne cocktail. The Australian Open is sponsored by Peroni beer and Tanqueray gin, but at least most of the food is grilled, served hot off the barbie. Since 2005, the signature cocktail of the US Open Tennis Championships has been the Honey Deuce, which is made with French vodka (Grey Goose), lemonade, and French raspberry liqueur (Chambord), and honey dew melon balls as garnish. Like most of the food and drink served at the two-week American grand slam tournament — which concludes Sunday, September 8— the only part of local culture that it seems to represent is capitalism. 

Hey, I’m not here to rant about commercialism, or vodka — there is some vodka I genuinely like — or the sport of tennis. I’ve loved the game of tennis since I was little. It’s about what this drink represents, or doesn’t.