Spec’sology Blog

Don’t you just love surprises? Seeing all your friends and family gathered in your den to pop out and all yell ‘Happy Birthday’ is a great feeling. But what’s even greater is discovering that your favorite wine pairs exceptionally well with a food that you never would have expected. Don’t be a slave to the ordinary; expand your palate with these unusual and surprising wine pairings. French Fries and Champagne July 13th marks National French Fry Day, so naturally we had to find a pairing for the iconic, diner side dish. Turns out, the saltiness and crunchiness of French fries

You know em’, you love em’, there’s even a famous oldies song about them. (It involves being “caught in the rain”.) Today we’re going to get into Piña Colada variations. You don’t need a plane ticket to go on a tropical vacation, all you need is to mix up any one of these cocktail recipes for your very own weekend escape*. *Grass skirts, bikinis and gaudy Hawaiian shirts optional. Rummin’ with the Devil Piña Colada This cousin of the piña colada uses dark rum, which gives the drink a whole new dimension. It’s garnished with both pineapple and basil leaves

Nothing’s worse than a boring beer cooler. Spice up your summer sipping with a little variety. It’s the “spice of life” after all. Here’s a collection of some of the best beers that Spec’s has to offer right now. Some of them you may have heard of, while others have oddball names that give most people a ‘confused puppy-look’ when they hear their names. (But that’s par for the course in the world of craft beer.) Rest assured, these beer picks are superb. Buffalo Bayou • Summer’s Wit Buffalo Bayou (out of hometown of Houston), takes a classic Belgian Witbier

We all have our go-to labels when we’re picking our poison. We’ve found a brand we like, or are just plain familiar with, and it becomes our proverbial formula from which we don’t want to stray. And for an easy in-and-out trip to Spec’s, that makes sense! But every now and then, it can be a lot of fun to mix it up when you’re mixing your drinks. Finding a new favorite might come in the form of your regular watering hole being out of your typical pick so you try something new, by the suggestion of that coworker who

Rewind several decades to the 1950’s. Chuck Berry plays on the jukebox in the little soda shop down the street, while dozens of teens in poodle skirts and slicked back hair line-up to savor one of the most iconic summer beverages of all time—the ice cream float! The times have evolved, and with them, so has the ice-cream float. How do you make the combination of soda and ice cream even better? Add high-quality spirits and craft beer to the mix. Here are some of our favorite boozy ice cream soda recipes to celebrate Ice Cream Soda Day. Boozy Cherry

What makes a mint julep so delicious? Just 5 simple ingredients. Well on paper it’s bourbon, water, ice, mint, and sugar. But there’s more to it that makes this legendary libation what it is. You also add a heaping tablespoon of American South swagger, 3 ounces of Kentucky Derby history, and last but not least, a silver cup to serve it in. The mint julep is one of those drinks that’s rooted in tradition. (Over 300 years of it.) But today, we’re giving ‘tradition’ a nice good shove out the window. Why? In the name of fun! We present you

We’ve had Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ playing on a loop. All. Week. Long. Why do you ask? We’re excited about the Kentucky Derby; a new champion will be crowned this Saturday, May 5th! Referred to as the most prestigious horse race in the world; the derby has been conducted at the most famous racetrack, Churchill Downs, continually since 1875. A crowd of 155,000 roars with jubilation as jockeys from around the world and their thoroughbred steeds emerge victoriously. They are lauded with the victor’s traditional Garland of Roses, and bring home a whopping 2 million dollars winning purse! Called

April 19th is a ‘nutty’ holiday for sure! It marks the celebration of National Amaretto Day, one of the world’s most popular liqueurs. The word Amaretto literally means “a little bitter” in Italian—and rightly so. This famous Italian concoction is made from bitter almonds, or apricot kernels. The nuts are infused in pure alcohol or brandy, giving the liqueur a distinctively bold almond flavor. To celebrate National Amaretto Day, sip on this savory liqueur at home and mix up one of our amazing cocktails featuring this amazing liqueur. The Godfather A 1970’s throwback cocktail named after the famous Coppola film.

What is World Malbec Day? World Malbec Day isn’t just a seemingly random day to sip on wine. (Though any reason to drink wine is a good one if you ask us.) April 17th actually marks a fateful day in wine history, commemorating Argentina’s wine renaissance. This was a time when president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento made it his mission to transform Argentina's wine industry in 1853, by ordering a botanist to transport and plant the French grape to South American soil. Why does it matter? Had it not been for Argentina, Malbec may not have reached the level of popularity

Who’s not a fan of “cold bubbles”? You know, the kind of beer that’s just beer flavored. Not every liquid that touches my lips or tickles my fancy has to be thought provoking, or even memorable, but it does have to be enjoyable! That’s where the Munich Helles, a light, crisp, pale golden German style of lager beer, comes in handy. So let’s take a little dive into what the Helles going on. Right off the bat, Helles (pronounced something like “Hell-ess”) is German for “bright,” indicating the beer’s brilliant, clear pale golden appearance. It is the most popular style

THE TASTING I’ve done a handful of these style tastings and have had good results with this format. What I do is go to both the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) and Brewer’s Association websites to get style guidelines. https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf https://www.brewersassociation.org/resources/brewers-association-beer-style-guidelines/ These are the parameters that are used to judge amateur/homebrew (BJCP) and professional/commercial (Brewer’s Association) competitions. There is a lot of information that is unnecessary for use in this situation. I combine the two and edit as needed. What I end up with looks like this: Beer Style Tasting Notes MUNICH HELLES Overall Impression: A clean, malty, gold-colored lager

Wine stewards and connoisseurs have their own unique vocabulary—which can often sound like spy code to the outsider. Not to worry! Here’s a glossary of the most commonly used wine terms. Brush up on these, and you’ll be able to rub elbows with the pros at your next tasting session or impress your dinner date. Wine Terms Glossary Acidity — the liveliness and crispness of wine, often stimulating your salivary glands Aeration — the addition of oxygen to round out and soften a wine Appellation — a delineated wine producing region particular to France aroma or bouquet — The smell