Mittie Hellmich

This is a great comprehensive guide for cocktails. It's been fun to experiment with some of the variations of classics I knew nothing about.

This is the ultimate bar book. Not only is it one of the most complete, It's also elegant.

I gleaned some useful tidbits in the general knowledge sections (don't use a metal implement to stir carbonated beverages), and bookmarked some tasty cocktail to try out. It's a gorgeous book, if a bit hard to keep open when referring to a specific page.