Spec’sology Blog

Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes What is the best champagne for mimosas? Mimosas are a classic brunch cocktail that have been enjoyed for decades. Made with orange juice and Champagne or sparkling wine, they are refreshing, sweet, and perfect for any occasion. However, with so many bubbly options on the market, it can be challenging to know which one to use. In this post, we'll cover the types of sparkling wines, the eight best Champagnes for mimosas, how much Champagne to use, how many mimosas you can make from one bottle, and the steps to make a perfect mimosa! What

Home Bar Essentials For those who enjoy entertaining, having a well-stocked bar is pivotal to your success. A handcrafted cocktail can lighten the mood, schmooze the in-laws, wow a friend, and impress a date. Being able to mix a variety of drinks at home adds a certain swanky swagger to your hosting ego, and rightly so! It’s a heck of a lot cooler than only being able to offer canned beer and shots of Fireball. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, we’re just helping you raise the bar a little! Stocking a home bar can be a fun and

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Explore the Hottest Korean Liquor With the global rise in popularity of South Korean K-Pop music, it’s no surprise that another part of the culture has taken off as well. You may not have heard of it before, but you will! What exactly is Soju? Soju is a distilled spirit that originated in Korea. It is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in South Korea, and it has also gained popularity around the world in recent years. In fact, Jinro Soju is the best-selling spirit brand in the world! The International Wine and Spirits

The History of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods Spec's, the iconic Texas retail chain, began in 1962 when Carroll B. “Spec” Jackson and his wife Carolynn opened their first store in Houston. The name of the store originated from “Spec” Jackson's nickname, which referred to his spectacles. The couple's goal was simply to make enough to support their family while being of service to their community. Turns out Texas had bigger plans in store for these two entrepreneurs! Spec's celebrated its first year of business in 1963 and continued to grow in popularity, attracting customers with its excellent service

After a chilly winter nothing warms the heart quite like Spring’s vivid flowers and fresh blooms! And we can’t think of a prettier way to praise the petals than by adding them to a cocktail. Floral cocktails are as delicious as they are beautiful, and we think they’re the perfect way to welcome in the changing of the seasons! Check out some of our favorite floral cocktails and be sure to hit up your local florists for the pretty parts! Aviation Ingredients 2 oz. Bloom London Dry Gin ½ maraschino liqueur ¾ lemon juice ¼ crème de violette edible violet

Nothing screams spring like colorful flowers and fresh blooms! And we can’t think of a more suiting way to praise the plethora of petals popping up along our path than by raising a cocktail or two in their honor! Light and bright botanical cocktails are as delicious as they are beautiful, and we think they’re the perfect way to welcome in the changing of the seasons! Check out some of our favorite spring cocktails and get ready for a taste of sunshine! Ginger-Peach Spring Fling Ingredients 2 oz Peach Vodka 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 3/4 oz Ginger Syrup 1/2

Instead of writing this in an Irish accent with references to leprechauns and green beer, we’re going to throw a little Irish culture at you. And by culture, we mean food. Not many of us stateside are familiar with traditional Irish fare, and assume corned beef and cabbage is a favorite on the dinner tables of Ireland. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Corned beef and cabbage actually comes from the early days of Irish immigrants in America, not Ireland itself. So, we’re going to focus on actual Irish food served during St. Patrick’s Day and what to drink with

Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Peanut butter whiskey is about as American as a spirit can get! The combination of whiskey and peanut butter may seem unconventional, but it makes delicious sense once it hits your tongue. The United States boasts the largest concentration and greatest diversity of whiskey production globally. Meanwhile, peanuts and peanut butter are widely available across the world, but no other country has integrated them into their cuisine as extensively as America has. So…cheers to us! How do you make a whiskey taste like peanuts, you ask? Well, some folks add a dash of artificial flavor,

All About Texas Bourbons They say everything is bigger in Texas, and nowadays that goes for bourbon too! Texas has become a hotspot for up-and-coming spirits as well as the base of operations for several established Texas-owned distilleries. In fact, there are so many that we thought it’d be helpful if we gathered up all of our favorite Texas bourbons and gave you a little rundown on each. Cheers! Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon Distilled in Fort Worth, TX Blackland has partnered exclusively with TexMalt of Fort Worth to source locally grown, unique Texas grain as the foundation of

At its core, gin is simply a neutral spirit that has been flavored with a specific recipe of botanicals (herbs, roots, and citrus). By definition, juniper berries must be a part of that recipe as they give gin its defining flavor. Thankfully for us, the Texas Hill Country is packed with natural flavors. From native pecan trees and rustic lavender to juniper trees and wild rosemary, our local landscape is awash in botanical inspiration. Gin has been around since the thirteenth century, so while Texas is maybe a little late to the game, we sure are letting the world know

Malbec wines are known for their exotic flavor, deep purple color, and for being the quintessential big red. They’re made from a dark variety of grapes that are tricky to mature properly without the topography of a valley and an equatorial climate. Malbec wines require a lot of sunlight and high elevation spots, making them not as common as other red wines in the west. That’s why most Malbecs are sourced from South America and Southern parts of Europe. The Malbec grape originates from France but found its full potential in the outskirts of Mendoza, a major Argentine city just

Throwing a cocktail party at home is a great opportunity to ensure your bar is fully stocked with everything you’ll need to keep the good times flowing! From spirits and mixers to liquors and syrups, we’ve put it all together for you and even thrown in some recipes! Tools You can usually find a bartender tool set that has most of what you need, but there are a few staples you should never skimp on. Like a shaker for mixing drinks, a strainer for pouring them, a jigger for measuring ingredients, a muddler for crushing fruits and herbs, a stirring