Panel and tourism officials urge committee to make the Orange Crush Maryland’s official state cocktail

House Bill 1001, sponsored by Delegate Wayne Hartman, was presented to the Health and Government Operations Committee with supporters asserting the designation of the original Maryland Orange Crush as the state cocktail would promote tourism and value-added agricultural products in Maryland.

Proponents described the beverage as an economically useful and widely recognized regional product originating in West Ocean City and testified to job, tax and tourism benefits if the drink is formally recognized.

"The purpose of this legislation is to designate the original Maryland Orange Crush as our official state cocktail," Delegate Wayne Hartman said in his opening remarks, noting the drink originated in 1995 at Harborside Bar and Grill in West Ocean City. He and owners of Harborside said the Orange Crush has spread across Maryland and beyond.

Chris Wall, an owner of Harborside, told the committee the cocktail brought business to Ocean City and the Eastern Shore. "We take a lot of pride in Maryland always have, always will. We're just hoping maybe Maryland can show us a little pride also," Wall said. Wall also gave a range for retail prices and the tax revenue associated with sales, saying a crush at retail can run from $10 to $15 and that the 9% state alcohol tax yields meaningful revenue for the state.

Witnesses from the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Commerce described economic ties. "We grow vodka, and we grow a lot of vodka," Kevin Attic, identified in testimony as Secretary of Agriculture, said, arguing that the designation would support value-added agriculture and the state's distilling sector. Marcy Ross, acting managing director of Maryland Commerce's Offices of Tourism and Film, said the designation would provide a marketing message to bring visitors to Ocean City to "try the Orange Crush in the land where it actually originated."

Hartman and supporters provided industry sales figures gathered from wholesalers and distributors. Among the numbers presented: Smirnoff Orange branded product sales were cited at about 129,528 bottles in Maryland in a 12-month period; other distributor case counts for orange-flavored vodka or triple sec were also presented to estimate the total bottle volume and tax revenue potential.

Multiple tourism organizations — including the Maryland Tourism Coalition and Worcester County Office of Tourism and Economic Development — urged a favorable report, describing the designation as an opportunity to create events, tours and promotional campaigns. Former Ocean City mayor and state Senator Jim Mathias also testified in support, stressing tourism return on investment figures cited for Maryland (a witness said $34 return for every $1 invested in marketing).

During the hearing, a committee member moved that the bill be reported favorably. The transcript records a motion to "move favorable," but does not include a roll-call vote or final tally in the hearing record. The committee recessed for floor votes after completing the panel testimony.

Supporters framed the bill as symbolic and promotional: they said it could boost sales, create marketing tie-ins, and help the state's hospitality sector. The transcript showed no formal roll-call adoption in committee documented in the hearing record provided.