Three Dots and a Dash

Paul McGee, Three Dots and a Dash | Chicago

three dots and a dash cocktail recipe daniel krieger paul mcgee

At Chicago’s tiki revival mecca Three Dots and a Dash, the bar’s namesake cocktail gets a slight tweak from its original formula. Created by tiki founding father Don the Beachcomber, the Three Dots and a Dash originally contained orange juice, but bartender and owner Paul McGee replaces this with dry orange curaçao and a bit more citrus. The best part of the drink is its over-the-top garnish—a token trademark of the tiki genre—which can include everything from pineapple leaves to orchids and brandied cherries.

Ingredients

Serving: 1

  • 1 ounce rhum agricole (preferably Duquesne Agricole Eleve Sous Bois)
  • 1 ounce rhum agricole (preferably Duquesne Agricole Eleve Sous Bois)
  • 1 ounce rum, Guyanese (preferably El Dorado 5 Year)
  • 1 ounce rum, Guyanese (preferably El Dorado 5 Year)
  • 1/2 ounce dry curaçao
  • 1/2 ounce dry curaçao
  • 1/2 ounce falernum
  • 1/2 ounce falernum
  • 1/4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
  • 1/4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup (2:1, honey:water)
  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup (2:1, honey:water)
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: pineapple leaves, pineapple spear, an orchid and three brandied cherries

Directions
  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
  2. Add crushed ice and shake briefly.
  3. Strain into a tiki mug or a snifter filled with crushed ice.
  4. Garnish with pineapple leaves, pineapple spear, an orchid and three brandied cherries.