Cocktail of the Week: "Dive in the Afternoon" at Swine

It's quite possible the last time you tasted (or, more likely, chugged) Jägermeister was as a sloshed undergrad. Now that well-made cocktails have become more desirous than back-to-back shooters, Weisi Li, manager and head bartender of bi-level West Village eatery Swine, thinks it's time for you to give this German herbal liqueur another whirl.

Her Dive in the Afternoon, she says, is a cocktail that is "a little rebellious" and "hopefully changes the perception that Jäger is only a college-days shot."

Like other amaros and digestifs, Li warns that Jägermeister may first come off strong yet by second or third sip it balances out. "It's delicious, with a punch of flavor. I wanted to create a cocktail that celebrated its sweetness, earthiness and spiciness," she adds.

So, she accentuated Jägermeister's herbaceous nature with mint and lemon, while giving it a lush roundness courtesy of peach bitters. It's all brightly contrasted by Prosecco.

"Bubbly can be seen as highfalutin, so matching that with something people associate with frat bars is a fun subversion," Li notes. A final playful touch comes in the form of an absinthe-laced sugar cube.