The DevilÂ’s in the Drink

There’s something very naughty about Robert Fathman. Not only does the Azure chef boast a devilish-looking beard and a number of tattoos, he’s a rogue in the kitchen—and in life. “Kindly asked to leave the Navy” and, later, kicked out of culinary school, Fathman has always preferred to walk on the wild side. Even now. Married, with a newborn baby, he’s creating controversy with a trio of infused liquors: a bourbon and a rum both called Diabolique and a tequila, Angelique.

The recipes are a legacy of Fathman’s early days: About 15 years ago, while cooking in Philadelphia, he poured bourbon over a crate of rotting figs in an effort to preserve them. “The intention was to serve [the concoction] at the bar, but we tried it, and we were like, ‘Forget that,’” he says. “We drank it all ourselves.” Years of further experimentation resulted in three flavors: bourbon softened and sweetened by fig and vanilla bean; rum tinged with citrus and ginger; and tequila smoothed by pineapple, mango, and lime.

While some purists objected to the delicate flavors in Fathman’s infusions, they were an instant hit among customers at City-Bar, next door to Azure in the Lenox Hotel. So about three and a half years ago, Fathman recruited Brandon Bach from Azure’s kitchen to produce and market them. Last November, the bottles became available in 27 restaurants and the South End’s Brix Wine Shop.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Today, top bartenders are shaking up cocktails with challenging, sometimes even savory, flavors. At a recent tasting Fathman hosted, local bartenders embraced the blends: The B-Side Lounge’s Misty Kalkofen paired the rum’s sweetness with lemon and orange (recipe); Adam Knox of Grill 23 mixed a margarita with citrus juices, triple sec, and Angelique; and Franklin Café chef Brian Reyelt reduced the bourbon to create a glaze for seared skirt steak. “Anybody can infuse alcohol,” says Reyelt. “But you’ve got to have a good palate. And as chefs, these guys get it right.”

>>Available at local restaurants and bars and by the bottle at Brix Wine Shop, 1284 Washington St., Boston, 617-542-2749, www.infusionique.com.