Grey Goose sold more than 738,000 Honey Deuce cocktails at last year's US Open, a record. This year, the brand's marketing chief isn't fixated on breaking it again.

"We don't even know if the number will increase, just because it's the same amount of people going through the gate," said Aleco Azqueta, global VP of marketing at Bacardi, Grey Goose's parent company. "They're already experiencing the Honey Deuce, you've already extended a week with [Fan Week], so for us, it's really become more about 'How do we give the most premium experience to the fans?'"

The numbers explain the pivot. Grey Goose, the official vodka of the US Open for the past two decades, sold about 274,000 Honey Deuces during the 2019 tournament, according to the company. Sales dipped slightly to about 269,000 in 2021, then jumped to roughly 415,000 in 2022 as demand for live events rebounded. In 2024, sales climbed further to about 460,000 before last year's record.

The drink itself—Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, raspberry liqueur, and three scoops of honeydew melon—has regularly broken its own sales records in recent years, Azqueta said. At those volumes, a Honey Deuce sells roughly every 1.5 seconds during the tournament. Unless the US Open adds even more days, there's a natural ceiling on how many cocktails fans can consume.

Renovated bars and a wider footprint

To raise the premium feel of the experience, Grey Goose renovated all 16 of its bars on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center this year, Azqueta said.

The brand has also pushed its presence beyond the tournament grounds. That includes Honey Deuce home deliveries, which began in the early days of the pandemic, and a branded Last Serve Bar in Grand Central that debuted last year. The bar returns this year on September 2 and 3, where fans can sample the cocktail whether or not they hold tournament tickets.

New to the roster this year is Josh Hart, guard for the New York Knicks and fresh off an NBA championship. Hart will create content and attend the US Open with the brand. With the tournament taking place in New York, Azqueta said the team wanted to "keep the celebration going" as the city continues to revel in its first NBA title since 1973.

The drink stays untouched

While activations and partners change annually, the product itself does not. "The Honey Deuce, we don't touch," Azqueta said. That includes the collectible commemorative cups, with one exception: the winners' names are added each year. The cocktail's price has risen over time, but the $23 tag this year matches 2025.

The Honey Deuce predates the rise of social media and influencers by years—it debuted about 19 years ago—yet the drink photographs well, and that was intentional. Taste and showcasing Grey Goose vodka came first, but visuals played a role in the cocktail's creation.

"One of the things we were looking about is 'How can we create something that's refreshing, where Grey Goose can stand out, that's visually really attractive, and also really complements stadium fare very well?'" Azqueta said.

To keep the drink visible online, Grey Goose works with influencers such as Paige Paul, the entrepreneur and wife of pro tennis player Tommy Paul, and athletes with large online followings, including Frances Tiafoe.

For Azqueta, the drink has become part of the event's identity. "I don't think you really can go to a US Open, and say you've been to a US Open, without experiencing a Grey Goose Honey Deuce," he said. "It's almost become a bit of that cultural currency."

Source: Marketing Brew (https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/grey-goose-honey-deuce-us-open?utm_source=&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=feed) / Source: privacy.morningbrewinc.com (https://privacy.morningbrewinc.com/policies)