Classic Honey Deuce Cocktail
Ingredients
- 6 oz (180 ml) Grey Goose or premium vodka
- 12 oz (360 ml) fresh lemonade
- 2 oz (60 ml) Chambord black raspberry liqueur
- 12 honeydew melon balls
- 4 cups crushed ice
- 4 cocktail skewers
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Instructions
- 1
Use a melon baller to scoop out 12 perfect spheres from a fresh honeydew melon.
- 2
Thread 3 honeydew melon balls onto each of the 4 cocktail skewers, then place them in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
- 3
Fill 4 highball glasses generously with crushed ice.
- 4
Pour 1.5 oz (45 ml) of vodka and 3 oz (90 ml) of fresh lemonade into each glass.
- 5
Stir gently with a bar spoon to combine and chill the liquids.
- 6
Drizzle 0.5 oz (15 ml) of Chambord over the top of each drink, allowing it to cascade naturally through the ice.
- 7
Garnish each glass with a skewer of chilled honeydew melon balls and serve immediately.
Notes
Using freshly squeezed lemonade with a balanced sugar ratio makes a significant difference compared to premade mix. Pre-freezing the melon balls prevents them from softening quickly and helps keep the cocktail cold without extra dilution.
The Story Behind the Honey Deuce
Created in 2007 by mixologist Nick Mautone, the Honey Deuce was commissioned as the official signature cocktail of the US Open Tennis Championships. Inspired by the nostalgia of American summer lemonade stands and the vivid colors of the court, its defining feature is the garnish of rounded honeydew melon spheres designed to evoke tennis balls. Over the years, the beverage has become an iconic fixture of late-summer sporting culture in Flushing Meadows, celebrating championship tennis with bright citrus and berry notes.
Discover Classic Honey Deuce Cocktail
Dale DeGroff
Known globally as the King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff advocates for meticulous balance and fresh fruit juices in tall summer highballs. His foundational technique focuses on chilling ingredients thoroughly before assembly to preserve delicate citrus aromatics and maintain crisp structure.