It’s a staple of summer in Baltimore and Ocean City. But who can claim bragging rights for the orange crush? The state of Delaware is making the case for calling the refreshing summer drink its own.
Delaware legislators have approved a bill naming the orange crush the state’s official cocktail, The Washington Post reported Friday. The proposal now awaits Gov. John Carney’s signature.
The proclamation seems to have set off some friendly rivalry between East Coast neighbors.
Carney, a Democrat, invited Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Friday to visit The Starboard in Dewey Beach, Delaware, to sample “the best Orange Crush you can find,” he said on X.
Moore, perhaps like many Marylanders, was not swayed. “They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Good to know Delaware has a crush on our crushes,” he responded.
Even the bill’s sponsors can’t deny the crush’s Maryland roots. The drink — a combination of fresh-squeezed orange juice, vodka, triple sec and a splash of Sprite or club soda — was invented in 1995 at the Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City.
The summertime drink soon made its way from the beach to Baltimore.
Many credit Patrick “Scunny” McCusker, the late founder of Nacho Mama’s and Mama’s on the Half Shell, for bringing it cityside.
His widow, Jackie McCusker, said crushes have been on the menu at Mama’s on the Half Shell since the restaurant opened on O’Donnell Square in 2003. They were inspired to serve the drink by Scunny’s time spent living in Ocean City.
“We love our orange crush for many reasons, but we feel we sort of gave birth to it over here on the Western Shore,” she said. “It’s refreshing, and I think people like the goodness of the fruit. It does give us a beach feel — a Maryland feel.”
But Delaware lawmakers argue the drink was popularized and “perfected” by The Starboard, a bar they say “serves the most orange crush cocktails of any bar in Delaware every beach season.”
My good friend @GovWesMoore should visit the Starboard in Dewey Beach, and we’ll have the best Orange Crush you can find. https://t.co/C2FUJojay8
— Governor John Carney (@JohnCarneyDE) July 12, 2024
At a congressional hearing Wednesday about the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, ribbed Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware about the bill.
“Sen. [Ben] Cardin and I are willing to forgive this transgression by the state of Delaware since you’re cooperating with us as a good neighbor on other issues,” Van Hollen joked.
Whether the rest of Maryland will be as forgiving remains to be seen.
“Get out of here,” said Scott Bauer, the owner of Das Bierhalle, when informed of the Delaware bill. “There’s no way Delaware is the crush king of the world. We are — 100%.”
His German-style beer halls in Parkville and Bel Air are also known for their jumbo-sized, 32-ounce crushes in more than 40 flavors, from the traditional orange to a Taco Bell-inspired Baja Blast, last weekend’s special.
The variety of crush offerings on Maryland menus is part of the evolution of a drink that has expanded far beyond orange.
Crushes now come in a rainbow of flavors, from grapefruit to watermelon to pineapple and lemonade. Sagamore Spirit offers a rye whiskey orange crush in a canned cocktail.
And although crushes seem simple, there is a bit of controversy about the ice. Some bartenders insist on crushed or pellet ice, while others prefer ice cubes.
Despite its strong allegiance to the crush, Maryland does not have an official state cocktail. (It does have an official drink, milk, and a state spirit, rye whiskey, but no state beer.)
Bauer thinks Maryland’s claim to orange crush fame is strong enough on its own. He has a question for Delaware lawmakers: “Are you guys coming for Old Bay and crabs, too?”