Barsys
Honey Deuce
About
Some cocktails whisper. The Honey Deuce serves for the match. It is the signature drink of the US Open, and if you have ever sat in Flushing Meadows in early September you have seen it - thousands of them, really, three pale green melon balls floating at the top of each glass like a fresh can of tennis balls just cracked open. That garnish is the whole joke and most of the charm. This is a tennis pun you can drink.
Underneath the theater, it is a genuinely smart cocktail. Fresh lemonade leads: tart, cold, and unfussy, the part that keeps everything bright instead of boozy. Grey Goose vodka sits clean beneath it, adding strength and lift without ever raising its voice - vodka's whole job here is to disappear, and it does. Then comes the Chambord, half an ounce of black raspberry liqueur poured last so it sinks in a slow ribbon of deep red and pools at the bottom of the glass. That is the signature move. Your first sip is sharp lemonade; your last is ripe raspberry. Same drink, two different endings.
The Honey Deuce was built for the tournament by mixologist Nick Mautone after Grey Goose signed on as an Open sponsor, and it has since become one of the very few stadium pours people will actually stand in line for. "Honey" for the honeydew. "Deuce" for the score at forty-all. It should not work as neatly as it does.
This Barsys build keeps the drink exactly where it belongs - a rocks glass, plenty of cubed ice, melon balls up top. No reinvention, because none is needed. The Honey Deuce is already right. The only thing that spoils it is a heavy hand, and that is the one thing worth getting under control.
Shaken or Stirred? Stirred, and barely. The Honey Deuce is a built drink: everything goes into the glass over ice, and a single gentle stir brings it together. Do not shake it. Shaking whips the fresh lemonade into a froth, throws the balance off, and costs you the clean look of the melon balls sitting on top. Add the Chambord last, let it sink, then give the drink one slow turn. It should still show a little of that dark-to-light gradient when it reaches you.
What You'll Need
For one Honey Deuce:
- 1.25 oz Grey Goose Vodka
- 3 oz Fresh Lemonade
- 0.5 oz Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)
- Ice Cubes
Glass: Rocks glass
Garnish: 3 honeydew melon balls
Pro Tip: Use fresh, properly cold lemonade and real honeydew. Bottled lemonade reads flat and oversweet, and a melon baller gives you the clean spheres that make the drink look like the tournament version rather than a fruit salad. Chill the glass first if you have the minute to spare.
How to Make It
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
- Fill a rocks glass to the top with cubed ice.
- Pour in the Grey Goose vodka and fresh lemonade.
- Add the Chambord last and let it sink through the drink.
- Give it one gentle stir to combine.
- Garnish with three honeydew melon balls and serve cold.
Using Barsys AI Cocktail Maker?
The Honey Deuce is short on ingredients, which means every pour counts. Half an ounce too much Chambord and it turns candied; a little heavy on the vodka and the lemonade can no longer cover for it. There is nowhere to hide in a three-part drink.
Barsys 360 AI Cocktail Maker locks the ratios before the drink ever comes together, pouring the vodka, lemonade, and Chambord to spec so the balance is right from the first stir. Simple drinks are the ones precision helps most, and this is about as simple - and as unforgiving - as they come.
For the full recipe, download the Barsys App.
Tasting Notes
The Barsys Edge
The Honey Deuce looks foolproof, and that is exactly why it trips people up. With only three ingredients, there is no complexity to hide behind - the ratio is the recipe. Get it right and the drink is crisp, layered, and dangerously easy. Get it wrong and it is either watery or cloying, with very little in between.
Barsys keeps the vodka, lemonade, and Chambord in line every single time, so the version you pour at home tastes like the one people wait twenty minutes for at the Open - minus the line.
Sip Setting
This is a drink for the long, bright end of summer. It belongs to afternoons that run into evenings, to a match on the screen and a full ice tray, to the stretch of the calendar when nobody is in a hurry.
It scales up easily, which is its other trick: one is a treat, but a pitcher of Honey Deuces turns a backyard or a watch party into an event. Sunny, social, and low-effort in the best way.
Garnish Game
The three honeydew melon balls are not optional - they are the entire visual identity of the drink, standing in for a can of tennis balls. Use a melon baller and take a second to get them clean and round; ragged chunks break the illusion.
Float them on top, or spear them on a pick laid across the rim if you want a tidier serve. A thin honeydew slice works in a pinch, but you lose the joke, and the joke is half of why anyone orders this in the first place.
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FAQs
What is a Honey Deuce cocktail?
It is the signature drink of the US Open - a tall, refreshing mix of Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, and Chambord, garnished with three honeydew melon balls.
Is the Honey Deuce shaken or stirred?
Stirred, gently. It is built straight in the glass over ice and needs only a light stir. Shaking would froth the lemonade and ruin the look.
What glass should I use?
A rocks glass with cubed ice. It is served tall, cold, and unfussy.
Why honeydew melon balls?
They are meant to look like a can of tennis balls - a nod to the US Open. "Honey" comes from the honeydew, "deuce" from the tennis score.
Is it strong?
It drinks easy, but it is a full cocktail. The lemonade hides the vodka well, so pace yourself.
Is it sweet?
Yes, but it should not be syrupy. Fresh lemonade keeps it tart, and the Chambord sweetness lives mostly in the last few sips.
Can I use a different vodka?
Yes. Grey Goose is the original by way of the sponsorship, but any clean, quality vodka works.
What can I use instead of Chambord?
Any black raspberry liqueur will do, or a raspberry liqueur in a pinch. The color and berry finish are what matter.
When should I serve it?
Warm afternoons, cookouts, and especially anything US Open or tennis related.