There’s No Crying in Skee-Ball: Sneak a Peek at A4cade’s Boozy Offerings

Later this month, Central Square will become home to a venue — a collaboration of two venues, really — where you can eat grilled cheese, burgers, and fried chicken sandwiches; play arcade games, pinball, and foosball; and drink cocktails themed after all your favorite pop culture references, old and new. Roxy’s Central/A4cade is on the verge of opening at 292 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, as previously reported, with Roxy’s Central serving up grilled cheese and lots more in the front and A4cade located through a “speakeasy-style door” in the back, offering up cocktails, beer, wine, and loads of games. The Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and Area Four teams are behind the two halves of the project.

Refer back to the Roxy’s Central menu here to get excited about tater tot poutine, dulce de leche milkshakes, and loaded hot dogs — or stay here to learn more about the cocktail program that awaits at A4cade.

Zac Wolf for A4cade

“A4cade's beverage program features an expertly compiled cocktail list disguised as childhood memories (with various octane levels to satisfy both traditional light weights and the professionals),” says consultant Augusto Lino, a Hungry Mother alum and opening bar co-manager at Area Four’s new South End location. “Think Frozen Painkillers served in plastic kids’ cups, poured from Alice in Wonderland-decorated machines that demand, ‘drink me.’ Bar manager Tainah Soares extends Area Four's commitment to quality into A4cade's selection of small breweries (alongside industry favorites such as the champagne of beers) and killer Magnums of wine (served P.I. style...we'll let you guess what that means) from some of the best producers in France, Spain and California.”

The frozen drink Lino mentions, The Kill Screen, is available in “one player” or “two player” format ($9/$18), made with rums, coconut, and citrus. Likewise, a couple of other tiki-inspired beverages are also available for one or two drinkers ($12/$24 each): Kong Jungle (“barrels be damned!”) is made with Blackwell, Rhum JM, allspice, banana, and citrus, while the Land Shark (“I’m just a dolphin, ma’am”) features Privateer Tiki (from Ipswich), Angostura 7 Year, cognac, sherry, and passionfruit.

Also on the cocktail list: a seasonal gin and tonic, a bottled Aperol spritz, and a brandy cocktail featuring North County Apple Brandy from GrandTen in South Boston. And that’s not all. There’s the Rainbow Road cocktail ($10), described as “clouds and unicorns,” which mixes Sipsmith with watermelon and grapefruit. Worst.Drink.Ever ($10) — say that in Comic Book Guy’s voice — is made of vodka, St. Germain, cranberry, a lemon/lime shrub, and soda. A “spicy AF” cocktail, There’s No Crying in Skee-Ball ($11), combines “Jimmy Dugan-approved” Chamucos with Lejay and lime. The list continues with plenty of fun references, not to mention creative glassware.

“I'm a child at heart who love cartoons, games, and prancing around in Mickey Mouse gear and shaggy coats, so I obviously don't take myself too seriously,” says Soares. “Looking for inspiration to create this menu wasn't hard at all. It's a lot of playful takes on classics with things such as a Cape Codder with a lemon/lime shrub and a hot toddy that is served in an ‘80s Thermos lunch box with a snack and a mom note. Our cocktail program is very much serious when it comes to creativity and taste, but our presentation will be as silly and fun as it gets!”