This morning’s glass of OJ is coming right up!
It’s the first day of summer, so yes — this is absolutely a beach-in-the-morning drink. Or at least a brunch drink. Either way: perfectly appropriate.
Let me introduce you to the orange crush.
As simple as it looks in a glass, I was surprisingly thrilled when I finally tried one. Believe it or not, I had never tasted an orange crush before — until now.
A friend told me about the orange crushes served in Ocean City, Maryland: how icy and refreshing they are under the hot sun. I grew up doing east-coast beach trips — Wildwood, Cape May — and I kept thinking, why didn’t we ever have these? Maybe they did exist at some point and I missed them, but either way, this drink felt like a revelation.
Our beach vacations were never about late nights at the bars. We were the family types: beach until the evening, then pool, snack, dinner, and cards in the condo until early morning. With parents and siblings. Those memories make me smile — and this drink fits right into that nostalgic summer vibe.
Orange crushes are simple but special. I post a lot of sangrias, margaritas and punches here, and I never expected a straightforward orange-based cocktail to dethrone some of my long-time favorites. Yet this might be my new go-to summer drink. It’s that refreshing and bright — on another level from ordinary orange-juice cocktails.
To clarify: I’m not a fan of screwdrivers, and mimosas made with plain orange juice rarely excite me. Orange-juice cocktails have felt “meh” for years, maybe from overdoing them in college. So this was a genuine surprise — it changed my mind.
The trick is using an entire freshly juiced navel orange. I used a Smeg juicer to get every ounce of juice — any good citrus juicer that extracts well will do the job. That fresh, bright juice is what transforms the drink: it’s reminiscent of an Orange Julius but lighter, brighter, almost creamsicle-like without any vanilla.
There’s vodka in the mix, but it’s subtle — you won’t taste the alcohol prominently, which is why these can be dangerously easy to drink. The recipe calls for orange liqueur (Triple Sec or Grand Marnier works perfectly), and you finish the drink with lemon-lime soda — choose whatever version you prefer.
I garnish with an orange slice, a sprig of fresh mint, and serve it over crushed ice with a big straw. It’s cold, fizzy, citrus-forward, and incredibly drinkable.
THEY ARE SO DELICIOUS!
Orange Crush
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Ingredients
- 1 navel orange freshly juiced
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur
- 3 to 4 ounces lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7UP
- orange wedges for garnish
- a sprig of fresh mint
Instructions
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Fill a glass with crushed ice. Pour the vodka, Grand Marnier and fresh orange juice into the glass. Give it a gentle stir. Top off with lemon-lime soda, garnish with an orange wedge and a few mint leaves, and serve.
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Even if it looks like nothing, it’s the most wonderful nothing ever.