One of the largest components of Tahoe’s nightlife is the mix of countless breweries, bars and restaurants that offer unique drinks difficult to find outside the basin.

In our Drink of the Week segment, we’ll showcase one type of beer, wine, cocktail — you name it — to try around the basin.

This week’s drink gives you a little Tahoe two-step on a whiskey sour. Yes, there are some traditional pokes around the old recipe, but the liberties taken here would have Lady Liberty herself holding her hand out for another.

That may be because of the care taken around the ingredients: George Dickel 12-year whiskey, a dash of cherry bitters, fresh organic sour mix, egg white, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of morello cherry juice to top everything off. If it sounds like twins on a teeter-totter, that’s because this cocktail is super balanced.

But just because it’s balanced, doesn’t mean it’s not complex. You get a little bit of the charred maple smell from the whiskey, and combined with the sweet from the cherry, it’s like Balki Bartokomous and cousin Larry – the pairing of perfect strangers.

The cherry also gives it the perfect tartness at the end, but then the whiskey rolls over the top, and then it repeats like the Kodak camera and becomes the gift that keeps on giving.

The egg white here gives it such a great creaminess that you want to lay your head down on it and take a nap – it’s almost pillow-like.

If you can’t already tell, I was a big fan of this drink. It’s like a blacksmith meets a flapper. Yeah, you can taste the hard work that was put into the effort, but once it’s ready, it gets itself in the mood for some inappropriate behavior.

Stateline Brewery and Restaurant is under new ownership but can be found in the same location: 4118 Lake Tahoe Blvd, in South Lake Tahoe. For information visit them at http://www.statelinebrewery.com or give them a call at 530-542-9000.