Oysters and absinthe are the draws at the perpetually packed hipster hangout Maison Premiere. But barman Maxwell Britten is equally fond of mezcal. The Ship of Fools, a contemporary take on the traditional sour, melds the smoky agave-based spirit with fennel and vegetal rum.

Fennel-infused mezcal:
½ cup fennel seeds
One 750-ml bottle mezcal

Ice
1 ounce rum, preferably Wray & Nephew
½ ounce fresh grapefruit juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce simple syrup (1:1 ratio)
Grapefruit twist

1. Make the fennel-infused mezcal: Add the fennel seeds to the bottle of mezcal and set aside.

2. Make the cocktail: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the rum, ¾ ounce fennel-infused mezcal, grapefruit juice, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake, then strain into a coupe glass garnished with a grapefruit twist. Serve.