Three Dots and a Dash is a tropical classic from none other than tiki legend Don the Beachcomber. It’s a spicy, assertive melange of rums (Martinique and Guyanese, preferably), citrus, clove, allspice, and honey.
The original recipe called for a splash of orange juice, which gets a bit lost in the sauce among all the strongly-flavored ingredients. At Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago (a tiki haunt named for this very drink), owner Paul McGee swaps out the OJ for dry curaçao (like Pierre Ferrand) and a touch more lime, which we agree is an upgrade.
The traditional garnish is three cherries and a long chunk of pineapple on a skewer, representing the Morse code for “victory” – along with a festooning of edible flowers, pineapple leaves, and all other manner of tropical festoonery.
