Why Is the Honey Deuce at the US Open So Expensive?

Inflation has affected virtually every aspect of the American consumer chain, even professional sporting events.

This year’s US Open Tennis Championships is not immune (you can partially thank Serena Williams’ retirement announcement for that), but ticket costs aren’t the only thing that’s skyrocketing, especially when it comes to one tried and true concession.

The famed drink of the tournament is dubbed the Honey Deuce — a Grey Goose vodka-based drink made with raspberry liqueur and lemonade and garnished with honeydew melons adorably shaped to look like tennis balls.

What’s not so adorable, however, is the $22 price tag — for one cocktail.

Granted, you get to keep the signature cup, but for many tennis fans and tournament goers, the cost is anything but an ace.

Call it the Big Mac index for tennis… A honey deuce at the U.S. Open is now $22

That’s more than an entire bottle of vodka in some places! pic.twitter.com/UwqN5Qvhhc

— Zach Griff (@_ZachGriff) August 29, 2022

Rename to, “thank you for spending $22 on a honey deuce” pic.twitter.com/qtBs1HV7Bo

— Philip Fama (@tweener_head) August 30, 2022

Excuse me but a Honey Deuce is now $22?! pic.twitter.com/G4AU7XMByl

— Foot Fault Tennis (on North American Hard Courts) (@footfaulttennis) August 30, 2022

YO. I worked the US Open last year and went back for the fan preview yesterday. The official cocktail, the Honey Deuce is $22 (!), and I swear @usopen shaved a good 4 ounces from the cup size since last year. They are TINY. #USOpen2022

— The Best, Bar None Pizza with Left Beef (@betterred) August 24, 2022

I want to go to the #USopen and drink a Honey Deuce that now costs $22

— Michelle Chabra (@MichelleChabra) August 29, 2022

Honey Deuce is $22

Fed will keep hiking pic.twitter.com/zglbk7Iyx4

— SawMill (@VujaDeMgmt) August 26, 2022

The drink, which debuted in 2007, was originally priced at $18 and increased to $20 in 2019 when roughly 250,000 were sold. More than 1 million Honey Deuces have been sold in the last 15 years.

Bloomberg reported that concessions in general are up about 10%, with local hotels charging upwards of $519 per night during the first round of the tournament with others even reaching $700 per night over the holiday weekend and into the later rounds of the tournament.

Ticket prices at the tournament have also skyrocketed, with the cheapest tickets for the Women’s finals starting at $180 and the Men’s and Women’s Doubles Final tickets starting at $350 a pop on Stubhub.

The US Open is expected to run through September 12.