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The U.S. Open is officially underway and already off to a wild start after Sunday night’s match between Benjamin Bonzi and Daniil Medvedev was delayed as Medvedev argued with the chair umpire – but some of the fiercest battles won’t happen on the court.
This year, a wave of new cocktails is stepping up to challenge the dominance of the Honey Deuce – a vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur concoction garnished with honeydew melon “tennis balls.”
More than 556,000 of the cult-favorite cocktails were sold last year, generating nearly $13 million in revenue, and over 2.8 million have been sold since they debuted in 2007, according to Grey Goose.
HONEY DEUCE SALES AT US OPEN REVEALED AS COCKTAIL EXPLODES IN POPULARITY
The $23 Honey Deuce has become a “cultural icon,” creator Nick Mautone told Fox News Digital last year. And it’s helped cement the Open as one of the buzziest — and booziest — sporting events of the year.
Even top American tennis star Frances Tiafoe joked in a 2023 interview, “Seventy percent of the fans are just loaded and just absolutely drunk.”
The Honey Deuce has been the U.S. Open’s signature cocktail since 2007. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Grey Goose)
Nearly a third of the Open’s 25 official partners are beverage brands — seven in total — showing just how central food and drinks have become to the fan experience.
This year, fans will find several high-priced newcomers vying for attention at the 145th Open, which runs through Sept. 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.
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One of the top contenders is another melon-forward tipple, the Watermelon Slice, created by IHG Hotels & Resorts, the tournament’s official hotel sponsor.
The limited-edition cocktail features Moët & Chandon Champagne, watermelon juice, elderflower liqueur and lime and is garnished with a watermelon wedge.
Tennis fans have more cocktail choices than ever before at the U.S. Open, giving the Honey Deuce a run for its money. (Geoff Burke/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The drink is served in a collectible neon-stemmed cup and costs $39.
Moët & Chandon is also relatively new to the Open, joining as the tournament’s official champagne sponsor in 2024.
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It returns this year with its signature sparkling wines in golden goblets for $32 and the debut of the Moët Ice Mimosa — a blend of fresh juice and bubbly, which is designed to be served over ice, presented in a limited-edition goblet, according to the company’s website.
“If there’s a new signature drink, I’m going to be trying it.”
For fans like Emily Visnic, a New York City-based pickleball player, content creator and nurse anesthesiologist, the drinks are part of the draw, no matter the price.
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“If there’s a new signature drink, I’m going to be trying it,” Visnic told Fox News Digital.
As a racket sport-lover, she said the Open is always a highlight of her year.
“Part of that is trying all the new drinks, all the new food.”
More than 556,000 Honey Deuces were sold at the U.S. Open in 2024. (Brad Barket/Getty Images for Grey Goose)
Her video of a “hack” for skipping the Honey Deuce lines — by ordering the drink at one of the stadium restaurants — went viral.
She’ll still get a Honey Deuce, but she’s also excited to try the new Iced Tiramisu from Italian coffee brand Lavazza, which is made with cold brew, chocolate syrup and mascarpone mousse.
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Lavazza will also be serving up caffeinated classics like cappuccinos, iced Americanos and iced lattes, as well as the fan-favorite espresso martini.
Returning favorites on the menu this year are the Aperol Spritz and Maestro Dobel’s tequila cocktails.
The U.S. Open welcomed more than 1 million fans for the first time last year. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The brand is bringing back its signature Ace Paloma, featuring tequila, grapefruit soda and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, which first debuted in 2023.
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The Open has come a long way from having a beverage program that featured Evian water in 1989 and Heineken in 1994. The Honey Deuce arrived amid the Roger Federer and Venus and Serena Williams era – and with it, a new era of courtside cocktails.
It smashed attendance records in 2024, drawing over a million fans for the first time in its history — and with this year’s new offerings, the Open could stir up another racket.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.
