Three Dots and a Dash recipe
Donn Beach’s World War II Tiki classic: layered rum, citrus, honey and aromatic spice over crushed ice.
Method: Flash blend ·
Glass: Footed pilsner or tall Tiki glass ·
Time: 6 min ·
Difficulty: Advanced ·
Family: Tiki & Tropical
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Aged Rhum Agricole (An aged agricole-style rhum with grassy depth)
- 0.5 oz Blended Aged Rum (A balanced aged rum)
- 0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Fresh Orange Juice
- 0.5 oz Honey Syrup (Equal parts honey and hot water, cooled)
- 0.25 oz Velvet Falernum
- 0.25 oz Allspice Dram
- 1 dash Angostura Bitters
How to make a Three Dots and a Dash
- Make honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and hot water, then stir until smooth and let it cool completely.
- Fill a footed pilsner or tall Tiki glass with crushed ice to chill it while you prepare the drink.
- Add the agricole rhum, aged rum, lime juice, orange juice, honey syrup, falernum, allspice dram and Angostura bitters to a drink mixer tin or blender.
- Add about 12 ounces of crushed ice and flash blend for 5 seconds—long enough to aerate and chill without turning the drink into a smooth frozen slush.
- Pour everything into the chilled glass, crown with fresh crushed ice, then garnish with three cherries and a pineapple frond to form the drink’s victory-in-Morse-code signature.
Garnish
Three maraschino cherries on a pick and a pineapple frond or slim pineapple chunk.
Pro tip
Freshly made honey syrup is essential here. It rounds the lime and spice without making the drink cloying, while a brief flash blend creates the lively, snowy texture associated with classic Tiki service.
History of the Three Dots and a Dash
Created by Donn Beach during World War II, Three Dots and a Dash takes its name from the Morse-code signal for “Victory.” The garnish is part of the drink’s story: the three cherries form the dots, while the pineapple element is the dash. This page uses a transparent Smuggler’s Cove-style modern recreation of that Tiki classic.
Flavour profile
Rum-forward, Tropical citrus, Honeyed, Spiced
Practise making the Three Dots and a Dash in the free Virtual Bar game.