DOTD For Tuesday, February 17, 2026
This Drink Is A Staff Favorite - Or So The Cats Tell Us…
Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Martinez Cocktail inspired by World Cat Day. Of course, Jody loves her cats Vinnie & Daisy. Shawn likes cats too. There’s even a tie to cats in the ingredients of today’s DOTD (which we’ll tell you about, below). So, yes - we like cats here at The Politics Bar. We’ve even had Kat Abughazaleh here in the bar, and hope to have her back soon.
World Cat Day has been recognized in Europe since Italy defined the date some 25 years ago. But before you cough up a furball disputing the date, be assured we know that International Cat Day is often considered to be August 8, and in the United States, National Cat Day is observed on October 29.
Calling indoor cats domesticated is a stretch for many. While most domesticated dogs will do the things you ask them to do (after you train them), cats are often harder to train, and often act more like your mercurial roommate that poops in a box. And then expects you to clean it up.
Some people are afraid of cats, and there is somewhat of a guide for which cats you should worry about: If a cat’s jaws can open far enough to grasp your neck, you should be very concerned. If not? You should be ok. That’s one reason jaguars are lousy pets.
Historically, cats are predators, for smaller animals like mice & birds. Ancient Greeks and Romans had pet weasels to control rodents, but eventually they noticed cats’ abilities, and cats gained favor in the Western word, as they’re usually more pleasant to have at home. Some house cats today still like to remind us of their predatory abilities by depositing small “gifts” of dead animals around the homes where they live.
Cats, in general, are great killing machines for rodents especially. That makes them valued distillery employees, keeping at bay rodents that would like to feast on the grain stores. A female tortoiseshell cat named Towser lived at Scotland's oldest working distillery, the Glenturret Distillery, from 1963 to 1987. She’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for her estimated 28,899 mouse kills.
Cats often maintain an air of mystery. Many cultures have considered cats a sort of bridge between the world we know and the extrasensory universe. Whether providing company to the dead in a cemetery or producing magic, cats are the most inscrutable of pets. All knowing, but not telling.
None of this seems odd for a creature delivered from the factory with night vision capabilities, hearing that extends to the ultrasonic, whiskers that detect air currents and a more sensitive sense of smell than dogs. Cats may even be considered the Ferrari of small animals, but nonetheless, cats still carry many negative superstitions, often related to stories of witchcraft.
One last thing you should know about today’s Drink Of The Day, a Martinez Cocktail. The Martinez Cocktail is historically linked to cats through its original key ingredient, gin. During the 18th-century "Gin Craze" in England, London’s politicians ended up trying to tax gin highly. So people figured out illicit ways to distribute gin, with what became known as “Puss & Mew” doors, which were effectively vending machines. Purchasers would put a coin or two in the mouth of the cat, and the person behind the door would pour gin into a funnel and out the pipe into a cup the purchaser had brought for the occasion.
While many sources credit Captain Dudley Bradstreet & his girlfriend Mary with giving gin the nickname “Old Tom,” Difford’s Guide credits the distiller Thomas Chanberlain. Whether it was Dudley & Mary, or Thomas, what remains true across the board is that most of the illicit distributors used wooden signs of black cats like the image above to signal they were selling gin - and black cats were then commonly known as “Old Toms.”
The Martinez Cocktail specifically uses Old Tom gin, a sweeter, maltier style of gin that was popular in 18th and 19th-century England, and is known for its balanced flavor. So that’s why, on World Cat Day, it’s our Drink Of The Day.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
