Here’s how U.S. Open’s signature cocktail’s price stacks up against inflation

While inflation rates have cooled in recent years, U.S. Open attendees may still be experiencing the aftertaste as they sip on the tennis championship’s iconic beverage.

The so-called Honey Deuce carries an eye-popping price tag of $23. While the drink costs the same as last year, it has had six price hikes since 2012 — and has outpaced inflation over the past decade.

The vodka-based beverage has become synonymous with the New York City-based event. It’s adorned with honeydew melon chunks that resemble tennis balls and is served in a souvenir glass.

Despite the high cost, the U.S. Open sold more than 550,000 of the cocktail last year, bringing in almost $13 million in revenue, according to NBC New York.

As tennis fans descend on New York for the two-week-long event, CNBC calculated how the Honey Deuce’s price change has fared compared with broader inflation.

Honey Deuce enthusiasts are shelling out around 53% more than they did in 2015, when the beverage cost $15, according to Sportico’s price tracker.

That’s higher than broader inflation as tracked in the consumer price index, or CPI. The CPI, which monitors a broad basket of goods and services, has increased about 36% between August 2015 and July 2025, the last month with data available.

In other words, if the Honey Deuce rose in tandem with overall inflation, it would cost approximately $20.33 today. The U.S. Tennis Association, which operates the facilities where the U.S. Open is held, did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

The Honey Deuce’s price has also risen at a faster clip than other alcoholic beverages bought outside of homes in U.S. cities. That average cost is up nearly 34% between August 2015 and July 2025, meaning it has seen slightly lower inflation than the overall CPI basket has.