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.

Any time we can feature a cocktail that carries a spirit that is uniquely Tahoe, we have to give it its due. Enter stage left: the Honey Badger.

The spirit of mention is a Maker’s Mark Ten Crows Private Select. Yes, you can only get this bourbon at Ten Crows and it was created in true pandemic fashion: via Zoom with the master distiller from Maker’s.

Its unique stave profile is what makes it one of a kind. Without fully nerding out on whiskey, it carries layers of French mocha and spices in addition to seared French cuvee and carries a burly tag of 109.3 proof. Any time you’re adding decimals and tenths of a number on to the heft, you know it’s serious.

It’s woody and clean to start out with that big hit coming mostly on the back end. But for as big as it may seem, it smooths out nicely, giving you a supremely well-rounded flavor — think John Candy in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”

The hot toddy cocktail it’s used in combines the bourbon with ginger liqueur, orange bitters, cinnamon, lemon, and of course, hot water.

As you might expect, that big bourbon does come through, but surprisingly, not in the way you might think. The sweetness from the honey and citrus really calm it down and make it extremely approachable. The ginger and cinnamon add just a touch of spice to round things out making this a great way to thaw out those bones after a day on the slopes.

While this cocktail is available year-round, the bourbon currently getting mixed with it, will not. Stay on the lookout for bottle specials down the road. But for now, regardless of what bourbon is getting mixed with it, Honey Badger don’t care.

Ten Crows BBQ is located at 4011 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe. For menu items and general information visit them online at 10crows.com or hit them up via phone at 530-539-4064.