DOTD For Monday, October 27, 2025

Something to honor Jody's cat, Vinnie and one of her favorite singing groups!

Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Manhattan Transfer Cocktail inspired by two events - The NYC Subway opening and National Black Cat Day.

We’re not sure when National Black Cat Day was established, but the NYC Subway opened on this date in 1904 to much fanfare. They’ve both endured: The subway still runs, & black cats still roam the earth - and cats still ride the NYC subway without paying.

New York wasn’t the first city to build a subway. That honor goes to London, where the Metropolitan Railway opened in 1863. When the New York City subway opened in 1904 it was run by the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) and had one line heading from City Hall to 145^th Street and Broadway.

Original logo of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (via nycsubway.org)

The public initially saw the subway more as an amusement than part of daily life, and around 150,000 people rode it on the first day. People were certainly intrigued, as the New York Times reported,

“The general public would not be admitted until 7 o’clock, and its curiosity was vastly whetted all the afternoon by the unfamiliar appearance of crowds emerging from the earth.”

That first day was not without its own stories and mishaps. The mayor was supposed to start the first train and then hand over controls to the “motorman.” But he wouldn’t do it until he’d reached 103^rd Street. A lot of people snuck in without paying, a tradition which endures to this day, despite the best efforts of the NYC Transit Police. Fifteen diamonds were lost on the train on the first day of riding. And the first subway delay happened at 6:00PM that day when a train blew a fuse at 96^thStreet. It had to be pushed to 145^th Street for a 20-minute delay. Luckily the general public was not admitted until 7 PM. And, of course, concern was raised about the ‘space hogs,’ the precursor to manspreading.

While New York City’s residents have had a mixed relationship with the subway ever since, millions of people still depend on it daily - and it’s spurred many artistic references over the years, including the legendary vocal group The Manhattan Transfer.

And on that note - literally - we pivot to the other reason for our Drink Of The Day, that it’s also National Black Cat Day!

Say ‘Hello!’ to Vinnie, Jody’s cat!

Black cats have gotten a bad rap for a long time. Back in the 13^th century, the Pope suggested they were associated with Satan. Edgar Allen Poe published a murder story called The Black Cat. A black cat in fighting stance was adopted as a symbol of anarchism. The Pilgrims colonizing America even considered black cats to be associated with witches.

While some may think black cats need a spin doctor to improve their reputations, we think black cats, like Jody’s adorable boy Vinnie, do alright in the reputation department. After all, did Janet Jackson have another number one song about another kind of cat? No. Also, Groucho Marx probably said it best when he remarked, “If a black cat crosses your path, it signifies that the animal is going somewhere.”

While black cats - or any cat - shouldn’t be drinking alcohol, there is a drink known as a Black Cat, which is a special type of Negroni.

Today’s DOTD, the Manhattan Transfer Cocktail, is also a variation on the venerable Negroni, though this one is a rye whiskey based drink. It’s really a variation on the Old Pal - and The Old Pal, of course, is another Negroni variation, which we may have to highlight on another day.

For now, let’s show you, our old pals, what’s really making this train roll, as we build a Manhattan Transfer Cocktail.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink: