Grand Central Terminal already has hidden tennis courts and a club tucked away on its fourth floor, so it makes a strange kind of sense that the city’s busiest train station also becomes the unofficial afterparty for the US Open every September.
It’s happening again this year, and it comes with a free drink attached.
The Last Serve Bar is returning to Vanderbilt Hall for its second year running, giving commuters and tennis fans one final toast before they catch their train home.
Grey Goose, the vodka brand that’s partnered with the US Open for two decades and invented the tournament’s signature cocktail, is setting up shop on the east side of the hall on Wednesday, September 2nd and Thursday, September 3rd, pouring miniature Honey Deuces to anyone lucky enough to catch it open!
Here are all the details.
When to actually show up
The pop-up only runs during two windows each day, so timing this one matters:
- 5 pm to 8 pm, ideal for anyone leaving an early match or grabbing a drink before heading uptown for dinner
- 10 pm to 1 am, the after-hours slot for fans stumbling out of a night session at Ashe still riding the adrenaline
Both days, both windows, same East Vanderbilt Hall setup.
Admission is first come, first served, guests must be 21 or older with a valid ID, and given how fast last year’s line moved, showing up right as the doors open is the smart play.
Last year’s was a phenomenon
This isn’t a shot in the dark and it’s back by popular demand!
When Grey Goose ran the Last Serve Bar for the first time in 2025, more than 8,000 people passed through Vanderbilt Hall over just three days, and the brand poured over 5,000 complimentary Honey Deuces into the hands of thirsty commuters.
American tennis star Frances Tiafoe even hopped behind the bar himself to surprise guests and hand out drinks, instantly becoming the most talked-about moment of the entire activation.
Word clearly got out fast, because this year’s return proves Grand Central has officially become part of the US Open’s unofficial map, right alongside Ashe Stadium and the 7 train.
The drink behind the hype
The Honey Deuce isn’t just some seasonal marketing gimmick, it’s been the official cocktail of the US Open since 2006, when Grey Goose commissioned bartender Nick Mautone to build something simple enough to pour for thousands of fans a day without slowing anyone down.
He landed on four ingredients: vodka, lemonade, raspberry liqueur, and a skewer of honeydew melon balls that double as the drink’s signature garnish.
Two decades later, it’s become one of New York’s most photographed seasonal rituals.
Celebrities including Taylor Swift, Stanley Tucci, and Timothée Chalamet have all been spotted sipping one courtside, while players like Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and Taylor Townsend have been caught enjoying the tournament’s own signature drink between matches.
A fitting home for a tennis tradition
The location isn’t as random as it sounds.
Grand Central’s fourth floor is home to the Vanderbilt Tennis Club, a real, functioning tennis court hidden above the chaos of the main concourse that’s open to the public. Between that and the Last Serve Bar taking over Vanderbilt Hall below, this train station has quietly built itself a two-story tennis identity every September.
For a city that treats Grand Central as a place to rush through rather than linger in, that’s a pretty good reason to slow down for once.
📍 Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station
🗓️ September 2 & 3, 5 – 8 pm & 10 pm – 1 am