It’s an annual New York ritual where sports and libations go hand-in-hand.
The US Open, known as the most-attended sporting event in the world, captures the attention of the masses every year thanks to gravity-defying feats of athleticism that vividly depict both the thrill of victory and agony of defeat. But aside from the major serves and thrilling matches, the libations and food that take over the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are just as notable as the players themselves, which include standouts ranging from Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and the Madison Keys, playing for the United States.
On a recent sweltering night, traveling into the Queens location turned out to be a feat in itself with traffic backed up for miles. But once there, rewards were waiting. There’s a sprawling food and drink village with vendors hawking everything from pizzas and beer. For the high-rollers who sit courtside, some have access to the 1968 Lounge which boasts a premiere buffet featuring everything from freshly-cracked lobster to brisket.
The cocktails are the standout however, including the infamous Honey Deuce. Created for the event 17 years ago by Nick Mautone (an alum of New York’s Gramercy Tavern), the cocktail features Grey Goose vodka along with lemonade and topped with Chambord. Its signature look is complete after it’s topped with two skewered melon balls.
According to a recent interview with Mautone, he remembers that inspiration stuck after a trip to the farmers market yielded melons, which he then scooped out into balls. “As I was looking at this pile of honeydew melon balls, I looked at my wife and said, ‘these look like tennis balls,” he recalled. “That’s the garnish.”
But while the Honey Deuce may be the US Open’s hallmark cocktail, another summer favorite is giving it a run for its money- and hopes to usurp the Deuce. This year, the La Dolce Vita-sweetness of the Aperol Spritz is making its presence known throughout the famed event, bringing with it a long history and intense fandom.
On a recent evening, the line to the orange glow of the Aperol Spritz pop-up was just as long as the queue to get inside of the tennis matches itself. On this particular night, the aforementioned Alcartaz was facing off against his German competitor Alexander Zverev. But as fans settled into their seats for the match-up, many were holding event-friendly plastic chalices of the light orange cocktail.
While the Honey Deuce has been around for less than 20 years, the Aperol Spritz recently celebrated a tasty centennial. Invented in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in northern Italy (its name is an Italian spin on the French word apéritif). It’s said that the cocktail didn’t become popular until after the brutal days of World War II came and went in the country.
In those post-war years, Italy experienced what became known as an economic “boom” , becoming world famous thanks to fashion (Gucci, Prada), film (Federico Fellini and Roberto Rosselini), automobiles (Fiat, Ferrari, Lamborghini) food (with Italian cuisine, from pizza to pasta, quickly gaining popularity beyond its borders). Starting then and growing ever since, the cocktail has been synonymous with summer and cemented in culture, a staple wherever seaside cocktails are served, with sales spiking within the past five years.
Its global virality could be traced back to 2018, when sales rose 48 percent year-to-year. By 2022, sales of Aperol rose by 72 percent. Parent company Campari has relayed that 300,000 Aperol Spritzes are sold daily in the Veneto region of Italy alone.
In recent times, the HBO series The White Lotus featured the culture of the cocktail on full display. Naturally, the Aperol team at the US Open invited the series star Meghann Fahey, who played the hapless Daphne, as their guest one night.
As fans perspired through sky-high humidity and record-breaking temperatures at the Queens, which hovered near 100 during the day for much of the multi-day competition (on this night, Alacraz wound up beating Zverev), cue the Aperol Spritz to come to a quenching rescue. Match point.
Make your own Aperol Spritz
Ingredients:
- 3 parts of Prosecco D.O.C.
- 2 parts of Aperol
- 1 splash of soda water
- Orange slice
Preparation: Place ice cubes in a stemmed balloon glass. In order, pour ice cubes, Prosecco, Aperol, and soda into a glass. Stir, and top with the orange as a garnish.
The post At the US Open, Cocktails and Tennis are a Perfect Serve appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
