Senators battle for orange crush supremacy

July 31, 2024 7

In the days and weeks after the General Assembly passed a bill designating the orange crush as Delaware’s state cocktail, Marylanders took to social media to air their frustrations over the First State claiming ownership over a drink that was created in Ocean City.

Playing up the lighthearted rivalry, Sen. Chris Coons and Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin faced off in a mixology duel July 30, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Each made the cocktail and presented it to a panel of judges comprising Emily Heil, food reporter for the Washington Post; Jessica Sidman, food editor at the Washingtonian; Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland; and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Delaware.

Chris Wall, owner of Harborside Bar in Ocean City, Md., was also a special guest. Harborside is credited with creating the orange crush cocktail in 1995.

In a social media post, The Starboard owner Steve “Monty” Montgomery discussed the orange crush controversy.

“We’ve admitted, we all know it, the orange crush was invented long ago at Harborside in West Ocean City,” he said while standing in front of The Starboard. “Imitation may be the best form of flattery; we’re just honored to be serving so many orange crushes here at The Starboard.”

He said retiring Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, former speaker of the House, hosts a breakfast group at The Starboard every Friday morning. He wanted his last action to be a bill to make the orange crush Delaware’s official cocktail.

“The entire intent is to drive tourism,” Montgomery said. “And what is all this media hype doing? It’s doing exactly what the legislators wanted it to do.”

After the Cape Gazette reported the General Assembly’s action on Schwartzkopf’s bill in early July, stories in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post pushed the news out to a wider audience.

“The Starboard serves millions and millions of orange crushes, thousands each day, as does everyone in Ocean City. It’s an Eastern Shore cocktail; we all know that,” said Montgomery, also pointing to business relationships and partnerships he has in Maryland. “Most importantly, the orange crush is hand squeezed. Whether you’re here or in Ocean City, don’t fake it. Fresh-squeeze orange, grapefruit, lemon, whatever.”

In the end, the state that founded the orange crush reigned supreme, as Cardin claimed the win over Coons in the friendly duel. During his victory speech, Cardin read a proclamation from Gov. Wes Moore who officially designated the orange crush Maryland’s official drink of summer 2024.

“This is all in good fun, but we take our orange crush creation in Ocean City pretty seriously,” said Cardin, donning an orange Harborside hat. “I go all around the country and they serve me Maryland crab cakes. They’re not Maryland crab cakes but at least they have the dignity of saying they’re Maryland crab cakes. So for now on I would hope Delaware …[will] call it the Ocean City, Md. orange crush.”

Coons responded by saying, “We will continue to call it the improved OG orange crush.”

This isn’t the first time politicians from Delaware and Maryland dueled. In 2022, then-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan visited Woody’s in Dewey Beach to settle a bet with Gov. John Carney. The two governors placed the friendly wager before the first round of the 2022 Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, when the Maryland Terrapins faced the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, which Maryland won.

The entire competition can be viewed on Cardin’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_-MhR9IV2Q&t=2s.