Honey Deuce Recipe Inventor Nick Mautone Credits Tennis Balls for Inspiring Iconic US Open Cocktail

Over the years, Honey Deuce has become synonymous with the US Open. Grey Goose’s iconic cocktail is something which everyone from ex-players like Serena Williams to tennis fans at the US Open, absolutely loves. As a result, the Honey Deuce recipe is something many are curious to know about.

Several videos involving the US Open’s official drink appeared on Instagram and Twitter, making it popular even among the non-tennis fraternity. However, what was unknown was the fact that how the Honey Deuce recipe was derived and the inspiration behind it.

Nick Mautone, a famous author and mixing specialist, invented this drink in the year 2006. He derived the idea while picking up ingredients for a dessert salad.

Honeydew melon balls were one of the ingredients Mautone picked up from a farm stand in Hampton Bays, New York for the dessert. Mautone observed that the melon balls looked very similar to tennis balls and hence, he decided to create the Honey Deuce recipe while using it and the rest is history.

“As I was scooping honeydew melon balls, it struck me—they looked just like tennis balls. At that moment, inspiration hit, and the concept for our cocktail was born,” Mautone was quoted as saying in an interview with Forbes.

The Honey Deuce recipe turned into a drink so iconic that it received a special shoutout from Serena. The American legend, who tried it for the first time ever since she always came to the stadium as a player earlier, lauded the drink in a TikTok video.

As soon as she took a sip, her eyes widened in admiration and she commented:

“Honey, that’s not Deuce. That’s called Honey Ad-In or Honey Ace. Let’s rename it, ‘cause it’s good.”

The Honey Deuce recipe involves Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, and raspberry liqueur, while it is garnished using honeydew melon. The price of the drink was also increased by $1 to reach $23 this year.

With this, Grey Goose is aiming for a huge jump in their sales as compared to last year’s $9.9 million at the US Open. At the same time, Frances Tiafoe, who is the global brand ambassador for the brand, has reached the semifinals of the tournament as well. Thus, it indeed is the perfect season for Grey Goose, who are riding high on the success of their drink.