Honey Deuce Melon Ball Punch

Name: Honey Deuce Melon Ball Punch
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 honeydew melon; 3 cups store-bought lemonade; 1 1/2 cups vodka; 1/2 cup raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons); Ice, as needed

By Vaughn Vreeland

Total Time: 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling
Rating: 4(109)
Notes: Read community notes

Alluringly rosy and ultra-refreshing, the Honey Deuce, a spiked lemonade, is just one reason thousands flock to Flushing, Queens, at the end of summer in search of long rallies and star-studded stands. It’s the official drink of the U.S. Open, the final major tennis tournament of each year. A satisfyingly light cocktail, it tastes like a grown-up pink lemonade, and this version makes a batch large enough to quench the thirsts of a crowd. Store-bought lemonade is bolstered by fresh lemon juice to temper its sweetness, while honeydew melon, scooped to resemble tennis balls, sits atop each glass, serving up an easy way to transport yourself to center court.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

½honeydew melon
3cups store-bought lemonade
1½cups vodka
½cup raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
¼cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
Ice, as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Use a melon baller or mini ice cream scoop to scoop the honeydew into balls. (These serve as your tennis ball garnish.) Freeze until ready to serve.
Step 2
Combine the lemonade, vodka, raspberry liqueur and lemon juice in a pitcher or large measuring cup. Stir with a wooden spoon and refrigerate until very cold, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Fill highball or old-fashioned glasses with ice. Stir the batched cocktail once more and divide it among the glasses. Skewer 2 melon balls with a toothpick to garnish each drink.

Tip

If you want more melon flavor, you can freeze the melon balls ahead of time and add them to the batched cocktail while it chills.

Ratings

4 out of 5

109 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

John1 year ago

This recipe is the exact recipe. It’s fantastic.

Margaret Hanley7 months ago

Measurements for one drink from the Grey Goose site: 1.25 oz vodka 3 oz lemonade ½ oz Chambord

Megan Zheng7 months ago

Unbelievably good drink. There’s nothing quite like double fisting the deuce from sun up to sun down

Melissa7 months ago

A big hit at a recent party. The honeydew melon “tennis” balls were a perfect garnish. Very refreshing!

Margaret Hanley7 months ago

Measurements for one drink from the Grey Goose site: 1.25 oz vodka 3 oz lemonade ½ oz Chambord

Susan8 months ago

I found this a bit bland, and very strong. I wouldn't want it sweeter, though. Meh! ( but the melon tennis balls were super cute?

Jon8 months ago

One of my all time favorite cocktails for summertime. So delicious and refreshing. Just be careful though; they do go down quite smoothly.

Kelly!8 months ago

Lovely! There does take a bit for the honeydew to thaw enough to enjoy eating. No modifications otherwise tho!

Andy9 months ago

This was a big hit! I used low-sugar lemonade. We didn't thaw the melon balls in time, so we didn't skewer them and they served as tasty ice cubes. They floated, which looked cool, and indeed like tennis balls. My liquor store only had "framboise" liqueurs, which is the French word for rasperry. With the low-sugar lemonade, it was perfectly sweet, even too sweet for a couple of people. The party was not tennis themed, but one tennis afficianado was familiar the drink and told its story.

Fatima1 year ago

Made this to watch the US open finals with some friends and it was an ace of a drink. Used Baron De Casterac as my raspberry liqueur since the local liquor store was sold out of chambord (perhaps due to other tennis and drinking enthusiasts). Would definitely make again for a non tennis related party. Looks beautiful and is easy to make and drink.

Nancy1 year ago

Very good but quite strong. Added more lemonade for dilution. Really a lovely cocktail.

John1 year ago

This recipe is the exact recipe. It’s fantastic.

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