Travel to the Open for tennis, wine and spirits
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Tennis lovers from all over flock to Flushing Meadow, New York, once a year for a trip to watch the best that tennis has to offer, but it's a lot more than a sporting event. The U.S. Open is a social gathering with a chance to taste some incredible food and a wide choice of wine and spirits.
Food court favorites include Crepes Express and Carnegie Deli, but there's also some sit-down fare with popular bars. The bars at Champions and Mojito have become famous for their cocktails. Two wine bars (which also offer a light menu) are in the middle of the South Plaza with a selection that satisfies all tastes and budgets.
The most popular drinking spots at the Open, though, are the ones that bare the names of their beverage. Grey Goose (which has multiple locations throughout the grounds) created a drink just for the Open and it has continued to gain popularity. The "Honeydeuce" consists of 1¼ part Grey Gose Original Vodka, ¼ part premium raspberry-flavored liqueur, and 2 parts fresh lemonade. It is topped with frozen honeydew melon balls on a swizzle stick and is sure to cool you off on a hot NY day.
The Heineken Red Star Cafe has also been a staple on the grounds and this year the beer company has brought in another bar (the Heneken Light Lounge) inside the brand new indoor building at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.. But the beer company is offering up more than drinks in its 18th year at the U.S. Open, they have introduced “Heineken with a Heart,” which raises funds for the USTA Serves Organization. Though "Heineken with a Heart" is new to this year's Open it was actually introduced in 2007 and has raised over a half million dollars for non-profit organizations.
If you can't find time to get to the 2009 U.S. Open for a great selection of tennis, wine and spirits, it's never too early to plan a trip for next year. Tickets reservations for 2010 are already being taken!