Northeast
Honey Deuce, US Open's signature cocktail, owes its origin to honeydew melon balls
The Honey Deuce cocktail, which made its debut at the U.S. Open in 2006, is arguably as popular today as the tennis tournament itself.
Case in point: An awkward moment occurred during a broadcast this week when a man returning to his seat with two of the cocktails — one of which was presumably for the woman next to him — was beaten to it by another man seated in the row behind him.
But if not for one man’s purchase of honeydew melon balls before a weekend in the Hamptons some years ago, the U.S. Open’s signature cocktail might not have looked as it does today.
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Fox News Digital spoke with Nick Mautone, a mixologist and hospitality industry consultant who served as brand ambassador for Grey Goose vodka, to discuss the birth of the beverage.
A New York native who lives in Seattle today, Mautone said he was tasked with creating a new cocktail for the U.S. Open when Grey Goose became the official beverage sponsor in 2006.
The Honey Deuce is the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. It is the brainchild of mixologist Nick Mautone, a New York native, shown at right. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images; Nick Mautone)
As Mautone was driving home in the Hamptons, he stopped to pick up some items to create a dessert salad that he intended to make for guests who would be visiting.
On the grocery list were honeydew melon balls.
“Immediately the thunderbolt went off and I said, ‘Holy cow, these look just like tennis balls,’” Mautone recalled to Fox News Digital.
“Holy cow, these look just like tennis balls.”
“So, from that moment on, I knew that that was the garnish, non-negotiable.”
Mautone presented it to the brand team at Grey Goose, who “fell in love” with the garnish; he also spoke to the U.S. Open staff.
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“The people doing the food service operations were less than thrilled at the idea of making a gazillion honeydew melon balls,” Mautone said.
That is, until they found a company that “makes hundreds of thousands of melon balls every day and ships them fresh to the U.S. Open.”
The U.S. Open’s Honey Deuce is made of Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade and a “drizzle” of Chambord black raspberry liqueur. The honeydew melon balls provide the garnish. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Mautone played around with “a couple of iterations” of the cocktail at first, including one version that used blackberry liqueur, before settling on the final recipe.
It includes Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, a “drizzle” of Chambord black raspberry liqueur and, of course, the honeydew melon balls.
The goal, Mautone said, was to avoid making “a very complex drink so that the bartenders can actually serve it without getting frustrated.”
“Lo and behold, it’s become a cultural icon.”
He added, “It’s a very simple two- or three-step process for a bartender to make the drink.” He said he was “dead set on a tall drink as well.”
Since the tournament is played in New York in August, Mautone didn’t want “something very spirit-forward because it’s too alcoholic and not pleasant to drink in the summer heat.”
Mautone said he believes patrons were “getting bored with beer and other libations” — so the Honey Deuce came along at the right time.
“Lo and behold, it’s become a cultural icon,” Mautone said.
The inspiration for the Honey Deuce cocktail came from honeydew melon balls, which resemble little tennis balls. (Grey Goose; iStock)
He attributes much of it to “old-school guerrilla marketing,” he said.
“It went viral,” he said.
The cocktail was crafted before Instagram existed and while social media was still in its infancy — so the Honey Deuce didn’t find fame outside of Queens, New York, until much later.
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“It’s become a cultural phenomenon by virtue of social media, specifically the honeydew melon balls, which I think a lot of people just look at as a genius garnish at a tennis match,” Mautone said.
“So it’s become an Instagram-worthy drink that’s very friendly, very refreshing and inviting.”
The Honey Deuce has been the U.S. Open’s signature cocktail since Grey Goose took over as beverage sponsor in 2006. (Grey Goose)
The Honey Deuce has been in the news recently after its latest price hike, selling for $23.
It sold for $22 at last year’s tournament.
Mautone said he thinks the beverage, which comes with a souvenir cup, is priced appropriately.
“If I was in midtown Manhattan or a great craft cocktail bar in Brooklyn and I ordered a craft cocktail, I’d be paying $18,” he said.
“So, when you say $23, it’s not that much more for the experience you’re getting at, to me, one of the greatest sporting events in the country.”
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Mautone said he plans to attend the U.S. Open.
And when asked if he intended to order a Honey Deuce while he’s there, his answer was emphatic: “Absolutely.”
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New Hampshire
Sen. Denise Ricciardi & Jeff Rogers: Stopping super speeders can save lives in New Hampshire
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.
Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.
“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.
She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.
“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.
A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.
“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.
She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”
The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.
“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”
With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.
Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”
Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.
Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.
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Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
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Winning Pick 2 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 4-7, Wild: 5
Evening: 8-8, Wild: 0
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Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 6-7-7, Wild: 5
Evening: 0-0-3, Wild: 0
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Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 7-2-1-4, Wild: 5
Evening: 5-7-3-1, Wild: 0
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Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 8-4-5-4-4, Wild: 5
Evening: 1-1-9-8-7, Wild: 0
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Winning Cash 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
04-14-16-20-38
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Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
02-04-08-13-30
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Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
10-12-23-31-33-46
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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
03-04-13-28-42, Bonus: 02
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- Sign the Ticket: Ensure your ticket has your signature, name, address and phone number on the back.
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When are the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
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