As neighbors go, Maryland and Delaware usually get along pretty amicably. With plenty of shared history, culture, and a border on the Delmarva Peninsula, the two Mid-Atlantic neighbors have a lot in common.
But it’s struck many Marylanders as a bit out of line that their neighboring state has claimed a drink that was created in the Maryland resort town of Ocean City to become Delaware's official state cocktail. The Orange Crush was first served at Ocean City’s Harborside Bar & Grill in 1995, consisting of freshly squeezed orange juice, vodka, triple sec, and a splash of lemon-lime soda, served over plenty of ice. The drink was a hit with Harborside customers, and over the last few decades, bartenders up and down the East Coast have begun serving the drink, especially in beach towns.
In June 2024, Delaware’s state legislature adopted a bill giving the cocktail its official status, though it has yet to be signed by Governor John Carney. Interestingly, the bill admits that “the Orange Crush cocktail is claimed to have been originated by bartenders in Ocean City, Maryland in 1995,” but says that it was “perfected” at the famous Starboard restaurant in Dewey Beach, Delaware. Starboard co-owner Steve “Monty” Montgomery admits that his restaurant didn’t invent the Orange Crush, just that they have “grown it and grown it.”
Crushing on the Orange Crush:
- Popular variations on the Orange Crush include crushes made with grapefruit or strawberries. Sometimes, a liquor other than vodka is used, such as whiskey or tequila.
- Maryland doesn’t have an official state cocktail, although the state legislature designated milk as the state beverage in 1998.
- Both Maryland and Delaware residents would undoubtedly agree that an Orange Crush must be made with the juice of a freshly juiced navel orange, which is what sets the Orange Crush apart from screwdrivers and other drinks that use store-bought O.J.
- Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) politely weighed in on the controversy on X (formerly Twitter), posting that “If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, consider us flattered, Delaware!” He also invited U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons of Delaware to come to Maryland “if you want to try the real thing!”
