Creating a classic

In the mid 2000s, Grey Goose vodka secured a sponsorship for the US Open. Over the course of 20 days nearly a million fans come to watch the best players in the world compete, and the brand needed a signature cocktail for the event. The challenge was that the cocktail also needed to be something that could be quickly served with minimal prep, as the venue didn’t have the faculties for complex cocktail preparation.

Grey Goose tasked one of their early brand ambassadors, Nick Mautone, with creating a drink for the tournament. Nick, who was a managing partner at Gramercy Tavern, was inspired at a farmers market while looking for honeydew melons. Their tennis ball like shape sparked the idea for the garnish, and after several rounds of testing he came up with the signature drink of the US Open, the Honey Deuce.

In 2023, a little over 460,000 Honey Deuce cocktails were sold, and from what’s been reported so far it looks like 2024 is going to surpass that mark.