Every great sporting event needs a signature drink. The Kentucky Derby has the Mint Julep. The U.S. Open has the Honey Deuce. And at The Soccer Tournament in Cary, TST has been working on its own instant-classic: The Nutmeg.
The name is perfect. In soccer, a “nutmeg” is when a player slips the ball through an opponent’s legs — equal parts skill, swagger, and mild public embarrassment. It is one of those moves that gets an immediate reaction from the crowd, whether you are a lifelong soccer fan or a second grader just learning what you saw. At TST, where the 7v7 format is fast, creative, and full of personality, naming the signature cocktail after the sport’s cheekiest move just fits.
TST debuted The Nutmeg in 2024 as its signature summer cocktail at the Nutmeg Bar, located in the northeast corner of the stadium. Organizers described it as a twist on a traditional vodka lemonade, directly comparing the idea to the U.S. Open’s famous Honey Deuce.
That comparison tells you a lot about what TST is trying to build. This is not just a tournament with concessions. It is a full soccer festival, with international food and drink, live entertainment, fan activations, meet-and-greets, a Kids Zone, and matches happening all over WakeMed Soccer Park. The Nutmeg gives the event one more piece of identity — something fans can remember, photograph, order again, and associate with a hot, loud, fun week of soccer in Cary.
And honestly, that is part of what made the day feel special. TST has the bones of a major sports tradition, but it still feels close enough to the ground that you can watch it becoming one in real time. A signature drink may seem like a small thing, but small things become traditions. You can imagine people coming back next year and saying, “We need to get a Nutmeg,” the same way they talk about a ballpark hot dog, a stadium lemonade, or a favorite fair food.
For us, attending the first day with our rising second grader, the drink was less about the cocktail itself and more about the atmosphere around it. The Nutmeg is another sign that TST understands what it is: not just a series of matches, but an experience. It is soccer, summer, Cary, crowds, music, food, photos, and the feeling that the Triangle has somehow landed a sporting event that is both global and local at the same time.
Not bad for a drink named after putting the ball through somebody’s legs.
