In our Drink of the Week segment, we’ll showcase one unique type of beer, wine, cocktail — you name it — to try at one of the countless breweries, bars and restaurants from around the basin.

What did the old fashioned say to the glass of whiskey? You’re neat!

No, that is not my terrible dad joke. I got it from the interwebs, which are loaded with more terrible old fashioned cocktail jokes. Lucky for us, the real thing featured this week is far, far better than any of those jokes.

Fumo’s take on the classic cocktail revolves around Rittenhouse rye whiskey. As with all old fashioned drinks, the success will only go as far as the whiskey will take you. Outside of maybe the standard martini, there might not be another cocktail where the alcohol shoulders so much of the responsibility. While this whiskey might not be super pungent on the nose, it has plenty under the hood to rev up the rest of the drink.

It’s joined at the hip with maple syrup (subbing in for the traditional sugar cube), angostura and orange bitters, and a dose of smoke. The result is an insanely balanced walk down the flavor beam. Everybody holds up their corner of the room, leaving you with a smooth, sweet, and slightly smoky gulp that never burns the throat.

The whiskey brings in notes of vanilla and cinnamon, which is probably why it pairs so well with the maple syrup and orange bitters. If you invited all those flavors to a party, it would probably end up like the house at the end of “Risky Business,” because everyone’s going to have a good time.

I would say that this drink is a great fit for the winter season (which it is). But, the old fashioned is one of my favorite cocktails, so really any time of the year is a good time to get old fashioned. This version is no exception. Cheers to February!

Fumo is located at 120 Country Club Dr. #61 in Incline Village. For drink and food menu visit them online at fumotahoe.com or be “old fashioned” and give them a call at 775-833-2200.