Three Dots and a Dash cocktail was created during World War II by Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt a.k.a. Don Beach at The Beachcomber’s restaurant in Los Angeles.

He was an American adventurer, businessman, World War II veteran and the “founding father” of tiki culture. Don Beach is known for opening the first prototypical tiki bar Don the Beachcomber during the 1930s in Hollywood, California, which was expanded to a chain of dozens of restaurants throughout the United States.

The cocktail was named after Morse Code for “Victory” and the garnish also means: three cherries are the “dots” and the pineapple is the “dash”.