Published: 12:52 BST, 6 September 2026 | Updated: 12:54 BST, 6 September 2026
It's the instantly recognizable must-have drink of the US Open that, according to its creator, was 'dreamt up over a weekend.'
Tasked with creating a drink containing vodka, Nick Mautone said he was driving through Hamptons Bay, Long Island, in 2006 when he stopped at a farm stand to collect some summer staples: blackberries, rosemary and honeydew melons.
That evening, as he scooped the melon balls into a salad, it hit him, he wrote: 'lightning struck – the melon balls looked just like tennis balls!'
Over the weekend, garnish firmly in place, he tried the vodka with a few mixers on some willing taste testers who were visiting for the weekend, before landing on the honey deuce's now infamous recipe: vodka, fresh lemonade, raspberry liqueur and three honeydew melon balls.
The drink quickly became an international sensation. Last year's tournament set a record, selling nearly 740,000 of the drinks and raking in $17 million.
It's built a following among celebrities too, having been snapped in the hands of everyone from Taylor Swift to Bruce Springsteen and even Serena Williams.
Guests prize the $23 tennis staple for its light, refreshing and sweet taste, and its plastic cup they can take home as a souvenir.
However, while you're washing down the drink in the stands this summer, there are some health considerations that you should be aware of.
Taylor Swift is pictured above enjoying the famous honey deuce cocktail at the US Open in September 2024
'Overall, it really is a decent drink,' said dietitian Leonila Campas, 'and people are drinking it to have a good time, not as a health drink.'
'But, as with everything, portions always matter. I might take a second look if I'm going back for a second, third, fourth – that might ring alarm bells.'
A honey deuce contains about 1 1/4 ounces of vodka and 1/2 an ounce of premium raspberry liqueur, alongside three ounces of fresh lemonade and three honeydew melon balls.
Little nutritional information on the drink has been published, but some online sources say it contains 192 calories.
This is similar to other popular cocktails including a margarita, around 200 calories, or tequila sunrise, around 220 calories, but is slightly more than a 12oz can of regular Coca-Cola or a pint of beer, both around 140 calories.
