How the Honey Deuce became a US Open icon—and how drink brands are racing to become the next one

The US Open officially marks the end of the summer season in New York City, and with it comes social media’s favorite seasonal cocktail: the Honey Deuce. Featuring lemonade, raspberry liqueur, Grey Goose vodka, and the iconic three honeydew melon balls that resemble those used in the game, the Honey Deuce has become as much a staple of the US Open as the actual tennis. On social media, influencers and fans alike pose with their cocktails. Restaurants across the city sell their own versions of the drink. And the hundreds of thousands of fans bring their highball cups back home after buying them. It’s as if, without the drink, fans might never set foot at the stadium in the first place. The Honey Deuce has held its spot as a fan favorite since its launch in 2007, following in the footsteps of the mint julep at the Kentucky Derby, or the Pimm’s Cup at Wimbledon. The love of the drink also translates to numbers, selling 738,459 Honey Deuces last year (which equals to around 2 million melon balls). But while the drink gained notoriety in a pre-social-media world by giving tennis fans a cheeky beverage that nodded to the sport, the cocktail space at the US Open exists in the era of a sh…