Retro Schudown: Why is the Honey Deuce Still the Signature U.S. Open Cocktail?
The Honey Deuce is now in its 20th year, and costs $23.
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The Championships, Wimbledon has English strawberries and Sipsmith Gin to represent the Brits. Roland-Garros (the French Open) has the très chic Ace Royal Champagne cocktail. The Australian Open is sponsored by Peroni beer and Tanqueray gin, but at least most of the food is grilled, served hot off the barbie. Since 2005, the signature cocktail of the US Open Tennis Championships has been the Honey Deuce, which is made with French vodka (Grey Goose), lemonade, and French raspberry liqueur (Chambord). Like most of the food and drink served at the American grand slam tournament, the only part of local culture that it seems to represent is capitalism. It now costs $23.
Hey, I’m not here to rant about commercialism, or vodka — as I recently wrote for Food & Wine, there is some vodka I genuinely like — or the sport of tennis. I’ve loved the game of tennis since I was little.