Flavoured syrups are, first and foremost, syrup (or simple syrup as bartenders call them). Simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio - add the sugar to some water warm enough to dissolve it and you have a simple syrup. There are a few variations to simple syrup, as you can swap the sugars around. White sugar will interfere least with the flavour of the syrup, while Demerara sugar will add a certain warmth and richness for example. So you can choose your sugar to complement your other flavours. You can also fiddle about with the water to sugar ratio, if you like your cocktails to be more or less sweet. If you have more sugar than water you'll need to heat the mixture to get it to dissolve properly - the longer you heat it, the thicker the syrup will become, which can be useful if you want a traditionally thick syrup, like grenadine.
To flavour your syrup, simply add your chosen flavouring to your simple syrup, put the lid on the pan and heat gently. If you're using fresh herbs, heat until they go brown, sample the syrup and if it's not strong enough add another handful and repeat. For other flavourings heat for about 45 mins. Do remember to keep tasting as you go. This method is called hot infusion - there are other methods but this is one of the simplest.
Strain and pour into bottles (which should be sterilised by filling with boiling water and leaving to sit for half an hour). The syrup should keep for about three weeks, a bit longer in the fridge. You can also add a shot of vodka to extend their life a bit, but do remember not to use the syrup in non-alcoholic cocktails - it's really easy to forget.
Here are a selection of our favourite syrup recipes from around the web to get you started:
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