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How the U.S. Open Turned a Cocktail Into Cultural Shorthand

From the U.S. Open to bars and hotels across New York, signature drinks show how hospitality can give audiences their own way into a larger cultural moment.

There are certain tastes that become inseparable from an experience. A hot dog at a baseball game. Strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. And, increasingly, a signature cocktail at a major sporting event. At the U.S. Open, the Honey Deuce has reached the point where hundreds of thousands are ordered over the course of the tournament. That kind of popularity is impressive, but the more interesting question is how a signature cocktail reaches that point. How does one become so closely associated with an event that people arrive already thinking, I have to try it?

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The most successful event cocktails become a form of cultural shorthand, with a taste, image or name that, over time, becomes almost inseparable from the experience of being there. Fans recognize the color or garnish from across a room. They photograph it, talk about it and, eventually, expect it to be where they return. What began as one item on a menu becomes part of the traditions surrounding the event itself. 

A drink people remember

The first requirement for any signature cocktail is fairly simple. It has to taste good. A clever name or garnish might get someone’s attention, but neither matters very much if the drink itself doesn’t deliver. When a cocktail is created against the backdrop of a larger cultural moment, the challenge is finding the right way to........

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