What technique involves continuously pumping spirit over flavoring materials?

The technique that involves continuously pumping spirit over flavoring materials is percolation. In this method, a liquid, typically alcohol, is allowed to flow through the flavoring agents. This creates a process where the alcohol extracts flavors from the materials, resulting in a more intense infusion of the desired taste and aroma. The continuous cycling allows the spirit to draw out the essential oils, flavors, and other compounds from the flavoring materials effectively, enhancing the character of the final product.

In contrast, infusion generally refers to steeping flavoring materials in spirit without the continuous flow aspect, while maceration involves soaking the materials in the spirit for a period, allowing flavors to permeate but not necessarily using a pumping mechanism. Distillation, on the other hand, is a process of separating components based on boiling points, making it unrelated to the extraction of flavors through continuous movement of liquid over solids.