Honey Deuce

If you can’t attend the U.S. Tennis Open in person to drink its signature HONEY DEUCE cocktail, you can easily make it at home. This “fruity & tart” vodka highball has been the tournament’s best-selling drink since its introduction in 2007. Making it at home requires no bar tools and mixes directly into an ice-filled glass. It’s served with ball-shaped honeydew melon, cut to resemble tennis balls.

Requirements: vodka, fresh lemonade, raspberry liqueur (Chambord recommended), honeydew melon balls

  • 1.25 oz. vodka
  • 0.5 oz. raspberry liqueur
  • 3 oz. fresh lemonade
  • 3 honeydew melon balls

Use a melon baller to scoop honeydew melon into a ball shape and place in a freezer beforehand. Fill a chilled highball glass with ice. Add vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur. Garnish with the frozen melon balls on a cocktail skewer and serve with a straw.

History:The original recipe was created by NYC bartender Nick Mautone in 2007 using Grey Goose vodka, a sponsor of the Open. It has become so popular that a canned version of the cocktail was created for fans.

Comments: Any favorite vodka can be used. Chambord is the preferred raspberry liqueur for its complex mix of raspberries and blackberries, which balances nicely with freshly made tart lemonade. I used Ketel One vodka, French raspberry liqueur made by Mathilde, and all-natural lemonade made by Tropicana — it was refreshingly fruity and good. Though the Tropicana lemonade misses some of the lemony tartness of freshly made lemonade, the mix still works.

Similar cocktails:

Platinum Blonde:https://keetscocktails.com/platinum-blonde/

Dirty Shirley:https://keetscocktails.com/dirty-shirley/

Palomahttps://keetscocktails.com/paloma-2/

Cheeky Peachhttps://keetscocktails.com/cheeky-peach-2/

Melon Ball Drop https://keetscocktails.com/melon-ball-drop/