Cocktail Codex

the more mixological types typically prefer 2:¾:¾ - for example that's the sour ratio touted in Cocktail Codex

I can’t recommend Cocktail Codex highly enough! Reading through it will give you a really solid wide baseline of cocktail crafting fundamentals that can lead you toward answers to these quandaries.

I also really dig the Death & Co. book, Cocktail Codex, the Bartender Manuel by Jim Meehan, and Smuggler’s Cove.

if you're looking for ba book that can help you create your own cocktail, strongly recommend the cocktail codex. It shows the rules and forms of cocktails for you and shows good examples on how to riff on classic cocktails.

Not a pro here - Cocktail Codex is a Gold mine, and was the thing that made it click for me.. all signatures are riffs on a classic formula, and all the classic formulas are a balance between booze, sweet, sour and botanical.

Cocktail Codex is a great baseline for technical drinks knowledge. Understand cocktail families and balance will help you nail classics and give you the foundation to craft your own recipes from.

I recommend getting Cocktail Codex so you understand how, when, and why you’d adjust standard specs based on ingredient substitutions.

The Cocktail Codex is awesome, it really dives in to the essence behind cocktails and how they link together/connect.

Get the cocktail codex, there are other but that's my favorite, and start reading.