New York (CNN) 鈥� At the U.S. Open currently underway in New York, a single cocktail will surpass $10 million in sales before the tennis grand slam event ends Sept. 8.
The drink鈥檚 sales alone could cover the combined championship prize money for both the male and female singles winner 鈥� this year.
The Honey Deuce 鈥� a mix of vodka, lemonade and a raspberry liqueur, plus its signature melon balls 鈥� has become a major success for both Grey Goose and the tournament. It鈥檚 the result of a strategic marketing campaign that exploded as
The U.S. Open is one of the biggest sports events in the world, and this year, it鈥檚 beginning to burst at the seams. On opening day, Aug. 25, entered the grounds in Queens 鈥� much to the chagrin of some of the event鈥檚 biggest fans, who have been rubbing elbows with people they don鈥檛 necessarily want to be quite so close to.
Massive crowds are expected to continue. The US Tennis Association aims to get 1 million fans to the U.S. Open this year 鈥� the most in its 56-year history 鈥� according to the . StubHub told CNN that sales on the secondary-ticketing website are on track to outsell all previous U.S. Open events.
That鈥檚 a lot of people to buy the tournament鈥檚 popular 鈥� yet increasingly expensive 鈥� signature drink.
Honey Deuce鈥檚 past and future
The cocktail traces its roots back to 2007, when Grey Goose was in its second year of its vodka sponsorship with the U.S. Open, a deal it extended in 2023 for another five years. The brand needed a drink that fit the parameters of being easy to serve in a high-capacity environment, like a busy sporting event, and had to have light and refreshing taste for the hot days.
The drink was invented by a former Grey Goose ambassador and restaurateur Nick Mautone, who was at a farmer鈥檚 market when inspiration struck.
鈥淗e saw a honeydew there and was like 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the taste of summer?鈥欌�� Aleco Azqueta, vice president of marketing for Grey Goose, told CNN. And the Honey Deuce was born.
The cocktail, which mixes Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and a splash of Chambord raspberry liqueur, topped with three pieces of honeydew scooped to resemble tennis balls, has become a photogenic star of the grand slam and social media feeds. (The deuce is a tennis term for when the players are tied at 40-40.)
At last year鈥檚 event, a record-breaking 460,275 Honey Deuces at $22 each 鈥� with a commemorative plastic cup to keep 鈥� were sold at concession stands throughout the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, generating more than $10.1 million in sales.
It鈥檚 become so popular that the tournament has several 鈥淗oney Deuce Express鈥� bars scattered around the campus that only sell the drink. This year, taps filled with batched cocktail mix have been installed at some bars to speed up service.
All told, more than 2.2 million Honey Deuces have been sold at the U.S. Open since its creation nearly two decades ago, with sales likely breaking records again this year as U.S. Open attendance keeps growing.
$23, with a 鈥榗ommemorative鈥� cup
Despite the drink getting more expensive 鈥� the Honey Deuce price has , jumping another $1 this year to $23 鈥� it hasn鈥檛 stopped sales.
Azqueta credits some of the growth to its exclusivity, because it鈥檚 available for only two weeks a year. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 unique about the Honey Deuce is that it鈥檚 something that people really look forward to since you can only have the original at the U.S. Open,鈥� he said.
Grey Goose has partnered with bartenders to sell the drink at locations and as a in New York and Chicago available only during the tournament as a way to give people a taste if they鈥檙e not heading to Queens.
Tournament organizers are capitalizing on the Honey Deuce beyond the drink itself, for the first time selling hats, pins and T-shirts featuring the cocktail. The merchandise is selling so well that they have limited inventory left and have plans to restock, a U.S. Open spokesperson told CNN.
Although other events don鈥檛 break out specific sales numbers for specialty drinks, the Honey Deuce has solidified its space in 鈥渢he royalty of cocktails that are identified with major sporting events throughout history,鈥� according to Mea Leach, beverage director for Virgin Hotels New York. She includes the drink along with the Azalea, a vodka cocktail served at the Masters golf tournament and the Pimm鈥檚 Cup at Wimbledon.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have a U.S. Open without the Honey Deuce,鈥� Azqueta said. 鈥淚t really is what the Mint Julep is to the Kentucky Derby but even more of a cultural phenomenon.鈥�
On Sunday, six-time U.S. Open champion Serena Williams tried the Honey Deuce for the first time, posting her taste test to TikTok that has racked up 155,000 views so far. 鈥淗oney, that鈥檚 not deuce,鈥� she . 鈥淭hat鈥檚 called Honey, ad-in, or Honey ace. Let鈥檚 rename it!鈥�
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