With only two minutes remaining in this year’s legislative session, Maryland lawmakers began celebrating early by designating the original orange crush as the state’s official cocktail — and chromite as the official mineral.
In its final vote of the night, the Senate gave final approval to a measure to name both chromite and the orange crush as official symbols of Maryland following a last-minute amendment to the bill.
“So folks, we’re running out of time,” Del. Wayne Hartman, a Republican who represents Wicomico and Worcester counties, said around 5 p.m. Monday. “Let me summarize this by saying, let’s not have the Senate crush our enthusiasm.”
Hartman, the sponsor of a separate bill to name the orange crush as Maryland’s official cocktail, proposed amending a bill designating chromite as Maryland’s state mineral to include the summery drink.
The legislation naming chromite as Maryland’s official mineral, introduced by Sen. Craig Zucker, a Montgomery County Democrat, was poised for a final vote in the House chamber when Hartman’s amendment came up.
“I would like to know — does he have a sample?” said Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, a Democrat representing Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties.
As Peña-Melynk deemed Hartman’s proposal a “friendly” amendment, the House floor erupted in applause and cheers.
“If anyone has the oranges, we can make this happen,” Hartman said.
The House unanimously approved the amended legislation combining the two designations, with more cheers echoing around the chamber. Nearly seven hours later, the Senate did the same under a tight deadline.
The origins of the orange crush are rooted in Maryland — the drink was invented in 1995 at the Harborside Bar and Grill in Ocean City. However, Maryland was not the first to designate the beloved crush as its state cocktail. The Delaware General Assembly made the crush its own state cocktail last year, sparking a friendly rivalry between the neighboring states.
Chromite, too, has a Maryland origin story. The heavy, dark-colored mineral was first discovered in the United States by geologist Isaac Tyson Jr., who found the rocks in Baltimore County in 1808.
The measure now heads to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk for signing.
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