Spec’sology Blog

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

Hill Country Wineries make us proud to be a Texan. You can find some great ones scattered all across the region, from far north of San Antonio, to east of Lampasas. Most offer very informative tours throughout their scenic vineyards. But what really puts the icing on the cake, are the wine samples from their tasting rooms. Take a day trip to any one of the following Texas Hill Country wineries, and we guarantee you’ll feel that Texas pride swell in you with each sip of ‘cowboy cabernet’. Texas Hill Country Wineries Four Point Cellars, Fredericksburg The name 4.0 Cellars

The pubs will be packed and the green beer will flow once again. It’s March 17, that one day of the year when ‘everyone’s Irish’—St. Patrick’s Day! But why contend with crowded elbow-to-elbow pubs when you can host a stellar St. Paddy’s Day party in the comfort of your own home? Everyone knows that Irish beer and whisky are staples on March 17th. Here’s a few of our recommendations: Must-Try’ Irish Beers: Murphy’s Irish Stout, O’Hara’s Irish Wheat, O’Hara’s Celtic Stout, Smithwick’s Irish Ale, Porterhouse Brewing Co. Oyster Stout, Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, Harp Lager, Murphy’s Irish Red, and naturally

If you love a good celebration like we do here at Spec’s—then you’re no stranger to SXSW Austin! Even if you’ve never attended SXSW yourself, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the cultural phenomenon. Every year, in mid March, SXSW Austin is a showcase of film, music, and interactive media. It captivates local audiences, and brings in thousands of tourists and partygoers, along with pioneers of the tech and entertainment industries. Sure, sure. You’ve heard this all before! But there are many interesting facts that even the most seasoned, SXSW part-goer doesn’t know about the Austin-based festival. 10 Fun

Roll out the red carpet! Hollywood’s biggest night is almost here. In honor of the 2018 Oscars, we have some very classy, (and creative) cocktails inspired by a few of the top nominated films. They’re perfect for sipping in style with your friends, while you watch your favorite stars make their celebratory speeches this Oscar Sunday. Lady Bird Cocktail Taking parts from the Jungle Bird cocktail, and the White Lady, this vibrant cocktail should be nominated for “Best in Taste”. Yum! Ingredients 1 1/2 ounces Gin ¾ ounce of Campari ½ ounce lime juice ½ ounce of simple syrup 1

Why should kids have all the fun? Gelatin snacks can be so much more than the limited palate of strawberry, orange and the like. With these classy and wiggly shot recipes, you’ll wow your party guests with gourmet, gelatin greatness. Be sure to stock up on supplies from your local Spec’s and if you need more recommendations, be sure to ask one of our Spec’sperts in the liquor aisles. Mojito Gelatin Shot Ingredients 1 cup white rum 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin ¾ cup fresh lime juice 3 stems fresh mint leaves Directions In a

Do you recall that life-changing moment in time when you took your first sip of craft beer? It was like drinking liquid art. Suddenly the world of beer was different. It was bigger and more exciting! Much like Dorothy leaving her black and white, Kansas farmhouse behind and suddenly landing in the bright technicolor land of Oz, a new world of beer had just blossomed before you! And from that moment on you were going to explore that world and all of its hop-filled, glorious varieties. If this is you, and you are a craft beer explorer, then you are

Hang the red lanterns and get ready to raise a toast to fresh starts! A worldwide party is about to begin. It has many names—the “Chinese New Year”, the “Lunar New Year” or the “Spring Festival” to name a few. The Chinese New year is a lot of fun, with many colorful traditions to go with it. Read on to learn more about this spectacular reason to celebrate! Swing into your local Spec’s where you’ll find all you need to celebrate including a variety of cognac, very affordable red tissue paper wrapping, and gift bags to go with it. Here