Vintage style, with a twist

The cocktails at Cuchi Cuchi rely on natural flavors such as muddled blackberries, coffee, and lemon juice. (WIQAN ANG FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)

With its ornate fixtures, stained glass windows, and servers dressed like flappers, Cuchi Cuchi revels in a sort of post-Prohibition era old-Hollywood charm. The bar isn't entirely of this world, however, straddling the line between vintage style and progressive eclecticism.

The pisco sour (Macchu Pisco, lemon juice, egg white, $10) with its traditional Peruvian brandy and egg-white foundation, is a highlight. "The key is to shake it to get it nice and frothy," said bartender Josh Parra. For those of you looking for more protein in your alcohol, here's your drink: a sour, grapey froth.

The Dipthong - that's a pair of vowels joined together to form a single sound, for those of you rusty on your phonetics - (lemon vodka, half lemon wheel dipped in coffee and sugar, $9) is as fun to drink as it is to say. "It's a variation on a lemon drop shot," explained Parra, presenting two Art Deco-style shot glasses in the shape of clinging nude figures (bottoms up, indeed). It's a drink in two movements: bite the lemon for a one-two-three punch of bitter coffee, sweet sugar, and tart citrus, then do the shot.

A long list of freshly muddled fruit drinks highlights Cuchi Cuchi's reliance on natural flavors. The Black Dahlia (muddled blackberries and kiwi, lemon juice, Absolut Currant, apricot brandy, $11) was a smooth push of apricot in a dark and seedy glass. The Thai martini (muddled lemon grass and basil, citrus vodka, champagne, $11) proved yet again the versatility of basil in cocktails. It's always a good sign when we're too busy drinking a martini to take many notes - suffice to say this one was finished quick.

Cuchi Cuchi, 795 Main St., Cambridge. 617-864-2929. cuchicuchi.cc

Got an idea for Barcode? Send it to lukeoneil47@gmail.com

• Searched
• E-Mailed