Cordial #1, Basic

4 parts juice
3 parts granulated sugar
1 part water

Process

1. Juice away! I tend to find this works best with pretty juicy fruits, veggies, and things of that nature. I suppose a decarbonated cola or even coffee could work. Strain. You'll just make more work for yourself later if you want to keep things looking nice.

1. Put in a pan. Add your sugar. Dissolve it completely on a low heat.
2. Bring it to a boil for a minute, then down to a simmer.
3. If you're adding an herb, add here. Wash and dry first. If a part is 4 oz and we thus have 28 oz of liquid in our pan, you'll want to use a pretty heavy amount of herb depending on which. Heavier on delicate herbs, probably a small package of basil or mint.
4. Strain again and cool before using.

Tips:

16 oz 12 oz 4 oz (half cup) is a nice amount to make but you'll need two bottles to store most likely. 8 6 2 is great. You can also just do it with a little math and whatever you get out of your flavoring element.

There's a decent amount of sugar in this and similar online recipes suggest they last a couple months. I throw mine out at 30 days even if there's no signs of mold or anything funky.