What does the term "infusion" refer to in bartending?

The term "infusion" in bartending refers to the process of steeping ingredients, such as fruits, herbs, or spices, in a liquid, typically alcohol, to extract their flavors over time. This technique allows bartenders to create customized spirits or liqueurs that carry the essence of the added ingredients. Infusion is commonly used to create unique flavors for cocktails, enhancing the overall taste profile of the drinks.

In contrast, adding ice to drinks is primarily about cooling and diluting the beverage rather than extracting flavors. Shaking cocktails vigorously is a technique used to combine ingredients and chill a drink but does not involve the gradual flavor extraction characteristic of infusions. The blending of multiple spirits involves mixing different alcohols together, which is different from the focused flavor extraction process of infusion. Therefore, the correct understanding of "infusion" is crucial for bartenders looking to innovate with flavors and create signature drinks.