IBA
Three Dots and a Dash – IBA
A fruity and spicy rum cocktail ∙ Blend ∙ 4 min ∙ 12.6% ABV ∙
Three Dots and a Dash – IBA is a blended tiki drink of agricole and dark rum with falernum, allspice dram, lime and orange juice and honey syrup.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Blend all ingredients with a scoop of crushed ice: Agricole 45 mlDark rum 15 mlFalernum liqueur 7 mlAllspice dram liqueur 7 mlLime juice 15 mlOrange juice 15 mlHoney syrup 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Pour the drink into the chilled cocktail glass
- Fill the glass with more crushed ice
- Garnish with 3 maraschino cherries and a pineapple wedge
Tips
- Blend only until the crushed ice is just mixed in; blend longer and the drink waters down until you lose the allspice and falernum.
History
Three Dots and a Dash is a tiki classic created during World War II by Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, the restaurateur known as Donn Beach, at his original Don the Beachcomber bar in Hollywood. Its name renders the letter "V" in Morse code, for "Victory," and the garnish of three maraschino cherries plus a wedge or frond of pineapple was designed to spell out the same three-dots-and-a-dash pattern.
Like most of Donn Beach's cocktails, the recipe was never published and was deliberately kept secret, mixed and labeled in code to stop rival bars from copying it, so it nearly disappeared after his death in 1989. Tiki historian Jeff Berry tracked down the formula and published it in his 2007 book Sippin' Safari. His version, along with later adaptations such as the one served at San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove, underlies the cocktail as it is known today. The drink was added to the IBA's official cocktail list in its New Era category in 2024.
FAQ
How do you make a Three Dots and a Dash?
Blend all the ingredients with a scoop of crushed ice, only until the ice is mixed in, then pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with three maraschino cherries and a pineapple wedge: the three dots and the dash.
What is in a Three Dots and a Dash?
Two rums, 45 ml agricole and 15 ml dark rum, with 7 ml each of falernum and allspice dram for spice. The rest is 15 ml each of lime juice, orange juice, and honey syrup, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.