Reddit mentions of Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails : From the Alamagoozlum Cocktail to the Zombie

I highly recommend reading this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Spirits-Forgotten-Cocktails-Alamagoozlum/dp/1592530680

It gives you the interesting history of cocktails, amazing recipes (though a lot fo them call for rare ingredients, the core information is priceless).
This guy is snobby to the max, but that's a good sign in this field.

The IBA stuff is way above level. If you're just starting out doing good cocktails you'd learn best using this corriculum:

1. Spirits
   
   

• Know the difference between Rye, Burbon and Scotch (it's not where they're made!).
  
• Know that Vodka /cannot/ have a flavor (legally, not technically) and therefore is useless in making cocktails, unless you want to up the proof.
  
• Gin is Juniper flavored vodka
  
  
  

2. Ingredients
   

• First thing for a cocktail cabinet, Angostura bitters!
  
• Never use sweet and sour. If it has sweet and sour in it, it's not worth drinking
  
• Instead, use fresh squeezed citrus (bottled stuff is always off for flavor). Unfortunately, having a bar means always having around 5-10 lemons and limes in the house. Most sours require a half of a lemon or more.
  
• Vermouth is amazing, but you have to get a good brand (I recommend Carpano Antica for sweet, and for Dry Molin will be great. AVOID MARTINI) -- KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE. It's wine, and can go off.
  
• Buy "Lillet" just to try it. You'd only really use it for a Vesper cocktail, but it's amazing by itself.
  
• Maraschino Cherries are made with Maraschino, not High Fructose Corn Syrup. They should look like cherries but DARKER not LIGHTER.
  
• A bit off topic, but you should make your own because holy damn shit these things are amazing:
  
  >1 or 2 bags of cherries, pitted and stemmed
  
  >1 tbsp sugar
  
  >2 oz lemon juice
  
  >All of the cinnamon sticks
  
  >A little bit of grated nutmeg - maybe 1/2 a teaspoon (if you happen to have any)
  
  >1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  >Enough maraschino liquor to fill the jar
  
  

3. COCKTAILS == SOURS
   
   Most drinks you'll make are just variations on the sour. From NobleExperiment
   
   >My classic cocktail ratio stands at 1.5 oz base spirit, 1 oz sweetener, 0.75 oz sour. Obviously, this is an over simplification of how things work. But it is a standard that can get you far in the world of cocktails. Want a classic daiquiri? Try 1.5 oz rum, 1 oz simple syrup, .75 oz lime juice. More interested in a margarita? Substitute some ingredients but don’t change your ratio. Try 1.5 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, .75 oz lime juice. Like bourbon? Try 1.5 oz bourbon, 1 oz maple syrup and 0.75 oz lemon juice. You get the idea.
   
   Piss bloody easy, and suddenly you're the life of the party, making the best damn cocktails you've ever had. Ignore gimmicks. Only flavor things once you've made them the old way first.
   
   After that, well, experiment.
   
   My favorite cocktails:
   
   

• Manhattan (50/50 Sweet/Dry Vermouth w/ carpano antica)
  
  
• Whiskey Sour (I like substituting Velvet Falernum for my simple syrup)
  
  
• Aviation
  
  
• Corpse Reviver #2
  
  
• Blood and Sand (WITH BLOOD ORANGES! YUM!)
  
  
• No 43. from Hungry Mother (Port!)
  
  

Imbibe is a good history lesson.

The American Cocktail from Imbibe! magazine is great and just came out. A lot of stuff from the current movement.

A gift subscription to Imbibe itself would also be very welcomed.

DeGroff's The Essential Cocktail is a beautiful book.

Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is one of the early books of the cocktail revival. Still essential.