Three Dots and a Dash

Wayfinder

Three Dots and a Dash is 45ml of rhum agricole, 15ml of aged rum, 15ml each of fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice and honey syrup, 7.5ml each of falernum and allspice dram, and two dashes of Angostura bitters. Shake it hard for 10 to 12 seconds and strain it over crushed ice in a tiki mug, then lay three cherries and a pineapple chunk across the top on one skewer. About 3.2 UK units. The measures are the IBA’s, from its New Era list; the IBA flash blends where we shake. The drink is credited to Donn Beach at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood during the Second World War. The name is Morse code: three dots and a dash spell V, the Allied sign for victory, and the garnish spells it again. The agricole leads. Made from fresh-pressed cane juice, it tastes grassy and green, and at three times the aged rum it sets the tone. The falernum contains almond.

ShakenHigh-ABVTikiAperitifCelebratoryClassic

Glassware: Tiki Mug

Garnish: Three maraschino cherries on a skewer and Pineapple chunk on the same skewer

Ingredients

Serves

Aged Rum

15ml

A blended aged rum, as the IBA names, at 40% ABV. The small measure puts oak, vanilla and weight under the agricole rather than in front of it.

Rhum Agricole

45ml

Rhum agricole from Martinique, the IBA’s choice, made from fresh cane juice and often bottled at 50% ABV. Its grassy edge is the drink’s character; a standard white rum makes it sweeter and plainer.

Fresh Orange Juice

15ml

Squeezed the same day. Rounder than lime, it adds body without more sugar.

Fresh Lime Juice

15ml

Squeezed the same day. The sharper of the two juices and the main acid against the honey and falernum.

Honey Syrup

15ml

Two parts honey to one of warm water, by weight, then cooled.

Falernum

7.5ml

A Barbadian liqueur of lime, almond, clove and ginger, around 11% ABV. Its almond makes the drink unsuitable for anyone with a tree nut allergy.

Allspice Dram

7.5ml

Also called pimento dram; the IBA names St. Elizabeth. Drier and more pungent than falernum and strong in flavour, so measure it rather than pouring by eye.

Angostura Bitters

2 dashes

Two dashes. The clove and bitterness tie the sweet ingredients together and dry the finish.

Pineapple Chunk

1 chunk

Fresh, cut into a rectangular chunk. It is the dash in the Morse V and goes on the skewer after the three cherries.

Instructions

Squeeze the lime and orange juice the same day.

Pack a tiki mug with crushed ice.

Add the rhum agricole, aged rum, lime juice, orange juice, honey syrup, falernum, allspice dram and Angostura to a shaker.

Fill with cubed ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.

Strain over the crushed ice in the mug.

Skewer three cherries and a pineapple chunk, lay the skewer across the rim and serve with a straw.

Source: the IBA (Official IBA specification (New Era); shaken and strained over crushed ice in a tiki mug, where the IBA flash blends into a footed copo; method ours). Last checked 9 October 2026.

Expert Tip

Measure the falernum and the allspice dram exactly. At 7.5ml each they are small, but allspice dram is intense: pour heavy and the drink tastes of cloves and little else. Pour either one short and the honey takes over. Loosen the honey before you start, two parts to one of warm water by weight, so it mixes cold. Straight honey sets on the ice and clings to the tin. Pack the mug with crushed ice before you shake, so the drink goes straight onto it. Then build the skewer in order, three cherries and the pineapple, and lay it across the rim. It is the name of the drink.

The story

Behind the Three Dots and a Dash

Flavour Profile

GrassyLimeHoneyCloveAllspice

The Origin

The drink is credited to Donn Beach at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood during the Second World War. The name is Morse code: three dots and a dash make V, the letter of the Allied V for Victory campaign.

Beach kept his recipes secret, coding the bottles behind his bar, so the drink survives through later reconstructions rather than his own notes. Dates given for it vary, and none is firmly documented.

The Split Base

The base is three parts rhum agricole to one of aged rum. The agricole leads with a grassy, green edge; the aged rum sits underneath with oak and vanilla.

Rhum agricole is made from fresh-pressed cane juice, mostly on Martinique and Guadeloupe, rather than from the by-products of sugar refining. That is why it tastes of the field. Swap in a standard white rum and the drink loses its top note and turns sweeter.

Falernum and Allspice Dram

Falernum brings lime zest, almond and warm spice in a sweet, low-strength rum-based bottle. Allspice dram brings pimento alone, drier and far more pungent. At 7.5ml each they cover different ground, and dropping the dram, the usual shortcut, makes the drink sweeter and flatter.

Lime and orange together give 30ml of juice against 15ml of honey syrup and 15ml of the two liqueurs, so the drink lands tart rather than sweet.

Ours Against the IBA

Three Dots and a Dash as the IBA writes it and as we make it

Rhum agricole

IBA: 45ml, Martinique
Ours: 45ml

Aged rum

IBA: 15ml blended aged rum
Ours: 15ml

Lime, orange, honey syrup

IBA: 15ml each
Ours: 15ml each

Falernum, allspice dram

IBA: 7.5ml each
Ours: 7.5ml each

Angostura

IBA: Two dashes
Ours: Two dashes

Method

IBA: Flash blended with crushed ice
Ours: Shaken 10 to 12 seconds, strained over crushed ice

Glass

IBA: Footed copo
Ours: Tiki mug

Garnish

IBA: Three cherries and a pineapple chunk
Ours: The same, on one skewer

Element	IBA	Ours
Rhum agricole	45ml, Martinique	45ml
Aged rum	15ml blended aged rum	15ml
Lime, orange, honey syrup	15ml each	15ml each
Falernum, allspice dram	7.5ml each	7.5ml each
Angostura	Two dashes	Two dashes
Method	Flash blended with crushed ice	Shaken 10 to 12 seconds, strained over crushed ice
Glass	Footed copo	Tiki mug
Garnish	Three cherries and a pineapple chunk	The same, on one skewer

The measures match. Shaking and straining over packed crushed ice gives much the same drink without a blender.

How to Serve It

Over packed crushed ice in a tiki mug, with the skewer of three cherries and a pineapple chunk laid across the rim, and a straw. Serve it at once, while the crushed ice is still dry.

Make it

Make it at home

The Spirit

Aged Rum

Aged rum is rum that has spent years in oak casks, usually ex-bourbon barrels, and taken on vanilla, caramel and dried fruit; our recipes count it at 40% ABV. In our recipes it is the rum for drinks where you should taste the spirit: the Old Cuban, the Mai Tai, the Rum Sour and the punch bowl.

Learn more

Master the Techniques

How to shake a cocktailin Shaken or stirred? When to shake or stir a cocktail

Go further

More to explore

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in a Three Dots and a Dash?

45ml of rhum agricole, 15ml of aged rum, 15ml each of lime juice, orange juice and honey syrup, 7.5ml each of falernum and allspice dram, and two dashes of Angostura bitters. Those are the IBA’s measures. It is served over crushed ice with three cherries and a pineapple chunk.

Why is it called Three Dots and a Dash?

Three dots and a dash is the letter V in Morse code, and V for Victory was the Allied slogan of the Second World War. The garnish spells it out: three cherries for the dots and a pineapple chunk for the dash, on one skewer.

Who created Three Dots and a Dash?

It is credited to Donn Beach, the founder of Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood, and placed in the war years. Beach kept his recipes coded and unpublished, so the versions in circulation are later reconstructions. The IBA now lists one in its New Era category.

Can I use white rum instead of rhum agricole?

You can, but it makes a different drink. Agricole is made from fresh cane juice and tastes grassy and green; a standard white rum is softer and sweeter. With 45ml of it in the glass, the swap changes the whole character rather than a detail.

What is allspice dram?

A liqueur flavoured with allspice berries, also sold as pimento dram and about 22% ABV. It tastes of clove, cinnamon and pepper at once. Falernum covers lime and almond; the dram adds drier spice, and the drink needs both.

How strong is a Three Dots and a Dash?

About 3.2 UK units: 2.25 from 45ml of agricole at 50% ABV, 0.6 from the aged rum, and about 0.35 from the falernum, allspice dram and bitters together. UK units are ABV times millilitres divided by 1,000; the Chief Medical Officers’ guideline is no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days.

Does a Three Dots and a Dash contain nuts?

Falernum usually contains almond, a tree nut, so check its label before making one for someone with that allergy, or pick another drink. The honey syrup also makes it unsuitable for vegans.