The iconic OC drink is now Maryland’s official state cocktail, thanks to a legislative Hail Mary pass
The iconic Orange Crush, made fresh at Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City since 1995, was just named Maryland’s official state cocktail.
With a serious revenue shortfall hanging over Annapolis, each bill arrived at the State House as a lighthearted, long-shot proposal: one to make chromite the official state mineral, and another to crown the Orange Crush as Maryland’s official state cocktail.
But in the final, frenzied hours of Maryland’s 2025 legislative session, both ended up sharing the spotlight, fused in a last-minute legislative maneuver that left lawmakers impressed and constituents cheering.
While the honor bestowed on the beloved Ocean City-born libation was led by Del. Wayne Hartman (R-38C, Worcester), he says it wouldn’t have happened if Delaware hadn’t fired the first shot, declaring last summer that the Orange Crush would be the First State’s official adult beverage.
“As we all know, the Orange Crush started at Harborside” in 1995, Hartman told OC Today-Dispatch, name-dropping the iconic West Ocean City bar, “and it’s gone viral across the East Coast and even beyond. I felt like they deserved the credit.”
To one-up Delaware and set the record straight, Hartman and several of his legislative colleagues set out to pass a law making the Orange Crush – a mix of vodka, fresh orange juice, and triple sec, topped with a squirt of lemon-lime soda – the official state cocktail, one as synonymous with Maryland as the crab cake.
He wasn’t taking it lightly. Even before the legislative session began in January, Hartman got to work with his General Assembly colleagues and committee chairs, letting them know he was planning to counter Delaware’s summertime salvo.
“Typically, state symbol bills, they like to see economic development as a result of it,” Hartman said. “When I started doing the research, it was very easy to see that there’s a huge economic impact from the Orange Crush. And it can only get better with more people knowing about it and hearing about it.”
Right away, the Orange Crush bill (HB 1001) started generating a buzz in Annapolis, all the way up to Gov. Wes Moore (D) who reportedly said he’d sign it if it passed.
Thank God for that!! NOT!!
no more taxes or reductions would be allot better
I’ll vote with my feet
MD crushes free markets small business and working class. FMD
Oh joy! It is wonderful that our “representatives” found the time in their busy schedules to deal with such important issues.
This will fix all our financial woes in six months. Genious!
finally some good news out of annapolis! now the overtaxed over fee’d gestapo ridden citizens of maryland finally have some relief! unfortunately most wont be able to afford one! Maybe they can spend some time to figure out which one of them is the biggest village idiot! I suggest starting with either van hollen or tax moore!
Next year they will glorify the Margarita!
As a booze hound myself ppl drink in good times and drink more in bad times and with this guy Moore ppl are gonna be drinking a whole lot Moore.
If you want a good crush make it yourself. Even Harborsides crushes have very little horsepower anymore at ten bucks a pop.
GEEZ! It’s a damn Screwdriver!!!