Woman takes PTO to work at the U.S. Open. Then she revealed how many Honeydeuces she sold in nine days: ‘It’s been awesome’

A woman who said she already holds a full-time job described taking paid time off so she could work at the U.S. Open selling Honeydeuces. In TikTok videos that Brobible reported had drawn more than 200,000 views before they were deleted, she explained the arrangement she said she had used for the past two years.

She showed shirts in one video as proof of the work. She stated that last year she made 11,239 Honeydeuces over nine days. She said she took the PTO solely to work the event and sell the drinks. “It’s been awesome ’cause I get to be on the grounds of the U.S. Open and get paid for it pretty much every single day of the tournament, like including the finals and matches that I would just never pay to go to,” she said.

She added, “Granted, I’m working. I’m not like watching the match. But just to be in the stadium on the grounds, like the energy is immaculate. And also, we do get two 30-minute breaks where we are allowed to go watch the match. And so, like, I have caught parts of the finals every single year.”

Honeydeuce ingredients and how the drink started at the U.S. Open

She described Honeydeuces in another video as a pink cocktail that has become the signature drink of the U.S. Open. She said the drink has three main ingredients: a shot of Grey Goose vodka, half a shot of raspberry liquor Chambord, and lemonade. She said bartenders usually add melon cut into balls on top. The exact measurements of drinks can be a point of scrutiny, as one woman recently measured the ice in a Starbucks drink to check for shrinkflation. 

Nick Mautone is the creator of the Honeydeuce. In an interview with ESPN, he said of the simple recipe, “We knew we were going to sell a lot, so we had to simplify the recipe and make it something that could work for everybody.” 

Daniel Zausner, COO of USTA National Tennis Center, told the outlet he was inspired to launch the drink after the Kentucky Derby. Zausner said he noticed how spectators went wild over the mint julep.

He said, “You see all the imagery of women in their stiletto heels, with the large-brim hats and their dresses. Women were walking around with stacks of these glasses. It meant so much to them to take home four, six glasses, whatever it might be.”

“Literally the first call I made that Monday morning was to someone on our sponsorship team,” Zausner said. “I said, ‘We need a vodka sponsor and we need one tomorrow.’” After its launch in 2007, Honeydeuces became a success, according to the report. Brobible stated that in 2025, 738,459 of them were sold and consumed.

Some commenters claimed to be previous U.S. Open attendees. One described long lines after going that day. They wrote, “Went today and the lines for Honey Deuce were like nothing I’ve ever seen.” Another commenter did some quick math on possible bartender earnings and wrote, “That’s like 22K in tips if everyone tipped $2.” The debate over tipping etiquette continues, as when a Texas bartender revealed his bold technique for taking revenge on non-tippers.