Three Dots and a Dash Drops New Winter Menu Serving Tropical Vibes
Let these cocktails take you away
Three Dots and a Dash has debuted its new winter menu, featuring a dozen brand-new and newly reimagined original cocktails.
Beverage Director Kevin Beary, Bar Manager Scott Kitsmiller and the Three Dots team stepped out of their rum-forward comfort zone to create an inspired follow-up and farewell to Three Dots’ 10th Anniversary Legacy Menu. The resulting creations are a masterful blend of cocktail art and science, each combining modern techniques with house-made ingredients and, of course, eye-catching presentations.
Here’s a quick look at the tropical treats that are about to warm up your winter.
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Check out the new menu at Three Dots and a Dash.
Coconut Midnight Stinger
Coconut fat-washed bourbon and Fernet Branca, lemon juice, toasted coconut syrup, fresh coconut chunk and mint
Beary and his team routinely travel the world to find the finest rum, spirits and inspiration that will help them create a one-of-a-kind sensory experience in every sip. For example, the Coconut Midnight Stinger is a twist on one of the team’s “all-time favorite American whiskey cocktails,” the Midnight Stinger. Three Dots’ tropical take features coconut fat-washed bourbon and coconut fat-washed Fernet Branca, and swaps house-made toasted coconut syrup in place of simple syrup.
Gremlins After Dark
Blended Scotch Whisky, Midori Melon Liqueur, fresh lime juice, cold press pineapple juice, green apple cordial, mint and orchid
Another original making its debut is Gremlins After Dark, a delightfully unexpected combo of Blended Scotch Whisky, Midori Melon Liqueur, mint, pineapple juice and apple cordial, for which the team opts to pulverize mint in a high-power blender rather than traditional hand-muddling to bring out the tropical flavors. (Careful–there’s no telling what will happen if you drink this after midnight…)
Coffee Grog
Long-Aged Jamaican Rum, 151-Proof Demerara Rum, Orange Curacao, house-made coconut cream, cinnamon syrup, absinthe, bitters, whole coffee bean garnish
Look out–this one is extra strength. To brew up this tropical spin on an espresso martini, Three Dots shakes together its strong house cold-brewed coffee with Long-Aged Jamaican and 151-proof Demerara Rums, Orange Curacao, and house-made coconut cream. Cinnamon adds sweet spice and balances the coffee’s bitterness. It’s a true pick-me-up!
New New Nui Nui
House-made ‘milk punch’ with mango-pineapple-vanilla foam
This update on the Nui Nui, which originated in the 1930s, employs a clarification technique that dates back even further to the 1600s. To create the milk punch base, Three Dots combines vanilla bean-infused Cachaça, a Brazilian spirit, with late bottle vintage port, sarsaparilla vanilla syrup and whole milk, then chills the mixture for a few hours until it’s well curdled. After straining out the milk solids, what’s left is this beautiful, crystal-clear concoction, which is then topped with a nitrous oxide-charged mango, pineapple and vanilla foam. This one is best enjoyed without a straw so that each sip blends the tropical richness of the foam with the tart, strong spirit and spice notes of the milk punch.
Tequila Jet Pilot
Blanco tequila, Amaro Montenegro, fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, bitters, absinthe, with cinnamon stick, grapefruit peel, pineapple frond and orchid garnish
The Jet Pilot is a gold standard at many tropical bars, including Three Dots and a Dash. Traditionally made with an overproof blend of Jamaican and demerara rums, those spirits are tastily replaced here by blanco tequila and Italian amaro. We challenge you to drink this one without taking a photo first (it’s not possible!).
Undead Reckoning
Verjus rouge, pineapple juice, lemon juice, house-made ‘Undead’ syrup, club soda
In this fun, spirit-free spin on the wildly popular Dead Reckoning cocktail, tangy verjus imitates the red wine notes normally contributed by late bottle vintage Port. Three Dots’ house-made “Undead” syrup effortlessly adds a layer of flavor complexity in the absence of rum and brandy. An added bonus? You won’t feel like a total zombie in the morning!
Along with these highlighted cocktails, Three Dots and a Dash’s new winter menu includes the fizzy, sake-infused Strawberry Banana Hi-Ball, the bar’s newest iterations of its signature Rum Barrel and Pearl Diver, and its must-drink seasonal treat, Hot Buttered Rum.
Kevin Beary and the team behind Three Dots and The Bamboo Room take rum and spirits very seriously. Nearly every rum-producing country in the world is represented across 300 rums amassed between the two bars, with new spirits from around the world sourced regularly.
Three Dots and a Dash is located at 435 N. Clark St. in Chicago’s River North. Click here to make a reservation at Three Dots and a Dash.
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