Deuce, Set, Sip: The HONEY DEUCE Is the US Open’s Real Winner

On any given night at the US Open, the broadcast cuts from what looks like a Met Gala after-party to a sea of pink cups raised just as often as tennis racquets. Those cups hold the tournament’s unofficial MVP, the HONEY DEUCE. Part cocktail, part status symbol, the mix of Grey Goose vodka, raspberry liqueur, lemonade, and honeydew melon “tennis balls” has become as iconic in New York as the matches themselves.

And the numbers prove it. In 2024, fans downed more than 550,000 HONEY DEUCES, pouring over $12.8 million into the US Open’s tills. Since their debut in 2007, sales have soared past 2.8 million cocktails, at an eye-watering $23 each. That is one drink sold every 1.5 seconds during the tournament. Not bad for a vodka lemonade with a clever garnish.

HONEY DEUCE is not just a catchy phrase; it is a registered trademark owned by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Grey Goose has a licensing agreement that allows them to market HONEY DEUCE as the “official cocktail of the US Open,” but the legal rights to the name sit with the tournament itself. From a trademark perspective, the name is fantastic. “Honey” signals something sweet and fun even though there is not a drop of honey in the drink. Then “Deuce” ties directly to tennis, where a tied score is called a deuce. Together, it creates a mark that is playful and immediately tied to the sport.

On the trademark distinctiveness scale, HONEY DEUCE would be considered suggestive, where it does not describe the cocktail outright, but nudges you to make the connection between sweetness and tennis. Suggestive marks are inherently distinctive and strong, which typically gives those marks a favorable position to be registered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The USTA has even extended protection by filing a USPTO application for HONEY DEUCE on merchandise like shirts and hats.

Similar to how the mint julep has become inseparable from the Kentucky Derby or how strawberries and cream are Wimbledon traditions. The HONEY DEUCE now sits in that same category. The pink cup in hand cements source identity in fans’ minds. Every time a spectator posts a courtside photo with the drink, they reinforce that this specific name, look, and experience come from the US Open. That consistent, event-tied use builds distinctiveness and ultimately makes the HONEY DEUCE trademark stronger.

The HONEY DEUCE trademark registration does not only preserve tradition, but it also creates new opportunities. The USTA owns the mark, so they have the power to license HONEY DEUCE in ways that could make the drink even more profitable. Imagine official pop-ups in New York during the Open or sanctioned HONEY DEUCE cans sold nationwide. Those expansions would only be possible because the trademark registration gives USTA control. Without a registered mark, the HONEY DEUCE would just be another cocktail. Now the drink is a multi-million-dollar brand asset that can be strategically licensed, managed, and grown.

The HONEY DEUCE shows how branding and experience can work hand in hand. A cocktail with no honey and a simple garnish has become a global talking point because it’s tied to a world-class event and protected by trademark law. It is living proof that when a name is memorable and safeguarded, it can grow into something far bigger than the product itself.