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.
Three Dots and a Dash
Paul McGee, Three Dots and a Dash | Chicago

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce rhum agricole (preferably Duquesne Agricole Eleve Sous Bois)
- 1 ounce rum, Guyanese (preferably El Dorado 5 Year)
- 1/2 ounce dry curaçao
- 1/2 ounce falernum
- 1/4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce honey syrup (2:1, honey:water)
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish: pineapple leaves, pineapple spear, an orchid and three brandied cherries
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
- Add crushed ice and shake briefly.
- Strain into a tiki mug or a snifter filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with pineapple leaves, pineapple spear, an orchid and three brandied cherries.