Why the U.S. Open Is Really All Concerning the Drinks

Essentially the most stylish accent in New York Metropolis round Labor Day is a pink-hued, honeydew ball-topped cocktail. The drink is the enduring Honey Deuce, a $23 vodka lemonade bought by the a whole lot of hundreds on the U.S. Open, the tennis Grand Slam that takes place in Queens, New York, on the finish of each summer time. 

Whereas followers of the U.S. Open definitely come for the tennis, drinks have change into one other principal occasion. Seven of the 25 official companions of the Grand Slam are beverage manufacturers and drinks-based experiences have change into part of the leisure. Gray Goose bought almost half one million Honey Deuce cocktails throughout the 2023 U.S. Open and there have been a plethora of cocktail options, from occasion newcomer Dobel Tequila’s Paloma cocktail to a basic Aperol Spritz. 

However how did tennis, a sport the place followers are notoriously requested to remain quiet and of their seats and tomfoolery is chastised on the jumbotron, change into one of many booziest sports activities within the enterprise?

It began with water and beer

In 1989 Evian grew to become the official water sponsor of the U.S. Open and has been main the cost in beverage-centric partnerships for the occasion ever since. Evian’s success at positioning their water alongside the prosperous market typically related to the game served as an inspiration for partnerships to return. 

“Within the mid 1990’s Evian Pure Spring Water was the bottled water within the U.S.,” says Teresa Saputo-Crerend, who served as advertising and marketing companies director to Evian Pure Spring Water from 1995–2000. “The elegant 750ml glass bottle was a staple on the most talked about eating places in New York and it was the water of selection for in style celebrities. For the reason that model was an icon of vogue, health and tradition, partnering with the best tennis occasion within the biggest metropolis on this planet made clear sense.” 

Moreover being the one water model supplied for buy on-site, Evian labored product placement into their contract in a number of methods. Bottles are positioned in branded coolers on the courtroom, tucked into tennis luggage, and each participant should have a branded water bottle in entrance of them throughout press conferences. “The [press conference] clause appears to have remained and has clearly paid off in at present’s age of viral media,” says Saputo-Crerend.  

Evian’s savvy product placement within the early years helped garner exponentially extra consideration to their model because the occasion has grown. The dimensions of at present’s Open is drastically totally different from the one Evian first sponsored again in 1989, when the event welcomed 416,855 attendees in comparison with final yr’s 957,387. On August 26, 2024, the primary day of this yr’s event set a single-day attendance document for the occasion with 74,641 followers. Evian can be the official water sponsor of Wimbledon, the London-based Grand Slam that happens yearly in June.

Heineken joined as an official sponsor a number of years after Evian in 1994, and 2024 marks their thirtieth consecutive yr with the occasion. The model continues to harness the eye of the U.S. Open to spotlight new initiatives. This yr, it’s all concerning the nonalcoholic Heineken 0.0 which, whereas initially launched in 2019, has gotten an improve. “It’s important for us to point out that moderation may be cool, which is why we launched a limited-edition Heineken 0.0 can completely for U.S. Open attendees this yr,” says Jonnie Cahill, Heineken USA’s chief advertising and marketing officer. 

This yr Heineken launched restricted version cans for his or her flagship nonalcoholic providing, retitled L0VE.L0VE, named for the beginning rating of 0-0 in tennis, alongside a nationwide marketing campaign the place customers might win tickets to the Open.

The Honey Deuce enters the courtroom

The early-to-mid aughts had been an thrilling time for tennis for a number of causes. Roger Federer’s breakout success garnered worldwide consideration and fame, and the Williams’ sisters fast ascent to tennis royalty introduced well-deserved consideration to the ladies’s sport. Additionally, the Honey Deuce cocktail made its first look on the U.S. Open.

The Honey Deuce is a tart and candy cocktail made with Gray Goose vodka, lemonade, and Chambord raspberry liqueur, topped with three excellent spheres of honey dew melon skewered onto a cocktail decide. Gray Goose tapped bartender and restaurant trade veteran Nick Mautone to create a refreshing and easy-to-make cocktail suited to the occasion’s late-summer climate. 

“After enjoying round with a number of totally different recipe iterations, [Mautone] was at a farmers’ market on Lengthy Island when he noticed a carton of spherical honeydew,” says Aleco Azqueta, Gray Goose VP of selling, North America. “It hit him proper there that they appeared similar to iridescent tennis balls, and that recent honeydew wanted to be the cocktail’s star garnish. The remainder of the recipe fell into place from there.”

Gray Goose has been a accomplice of the event since 2006 and launched the drink a yr later. They’ve bought over 2.25 million Honey Deuces within the 16 years for the reason that cocktail first launched, and it is risen from $14 to a whopping $23 per drink. In keeping with enterprise influencer Joe Pompliano, the cocktail yields over $10 million in gross sales yearly, sufficient income to cowl the prize cash for each the mens and ladies’s finals.

The cocktail has solely grown in recognition regardless of its rising price, a testomony to Gray Goose’s success with advertising and marketing the Honey Deuce as a must-get event attraction and cultural image. “The Honey Deuce has developed an even bigger cult following than we might have imagined,” says Azqueta. 

The drink has impressed vogue collaborations and is being remade at bars and eating places throughout New York. So many bars might be recreating the Honey Deuce that Gray Goose launched a  “warmth map” the place customers can discover the closest cocktail to their zip code. Emirates, one other accomplice of the U.S. Open, can be serving the Honey Deuce on flights to and from New York Metropolis throughout the period of the event. 

Some progressive variations of Honey Deuce may be discovered on the U.S. Open’s American Specific Fan Expertise the place cardmembers have entry to creamy, frozen variations of the trendy basic. To not go away kids out of the cross-branding extravaganza, a scrumptious mint chocolate chip ice cream coloured like a tennis ball is now additionally supplied in collaboration with Van Leeuwen.

Extra followers means extra alternatives

The previous few years have seen an enormous growth in tennis viewership as the game has change into extra accessible to a bigger viewers. Netflix’s documentary Break Level helped pave the best way for a youthful technology of followers as did the rise in tennis influencers, particularly the romantic companions of American tennis stars like Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe whose important others have nicely over 1 million Instagram followers mixed. 

Aperol and Maestro Dobel tequila joined the U.S. Open drinks lineup in 2023, every providing cocktails aimed toward a brand new technology of tennis followers. “We noticed a rise in U.S. client curiosity in premium tequilas in addition to increasing curiosity in tennis, notably amongst a youthful multicultural viewers,” says Lander Otegui, senior vp of selling at Proximo Spirits.

Past signature cocktail choices matched with tennis gamers like Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Fritz, the model additionally launched the Dobel Tequila Membership, an on-site house serving Mexican dishes by superstar chef Enrique Olvera.

Whereas Dobel is bringing a style of Mexico to the U.S. Open, Aperol has been channeling Italy. The famed aperitif model serves Aperol Spritzes throughout the event grounds, positioned as a lower-ABV various. “From the beginning, our main goal was to infuse the event with a slice of Italian tradition,” says Andrea Sengara, Campari America’s vp of selling. “We aimed to interact with customers in a well-known setting by creating on-site locations that encourage neighborhood and togetherness.” 

The Italian espresso model Lavazza has additionally had a presence on the U.S. Open since 2015, however expanded their choices this yr to incorporate a whole menu of basic and inventive Espresso Martinis. 

Moët & Chandon Champagne was the latest addition to the beverage lineup this yr. Their $32 a glass Moët & Chandon Impérial prices a premium, however is available in a chrome-colored wine glass that has change into a sought-after memento for followers. 

Nonetheless, if you happen to get caught with a drink on the jumbotron, you might be anticipated to chug the contents of your glass earlier than the followers start to boo. Some issues by no means change.