Spec’sology Blog

Vintage 2015 Mostly Cru Classé Bordeaux Tasting Hosted by Spec's Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice Spec’s will host over 30 Bordeaux chateau owners, directors, and/or winemakers presenting 62 mostly Cru Classé Bordeaux wines all from the suberb 2015 vintage in a standup- and-walk-around tasting format. This is our seventh time to host such a delegation from Bordeaux and each of the previous events have been smashing successes. The list of well-known and highly regarded Bordeaux wineries includes ... Pomerol: Chx. Clinet, Gazin, Croix St. Georges, and La Pointe (along with 2nd vin Ballade de

2018 is right around the corner! And that means it’s almost time for the big new year’s party. But before you go poppin’ bottles with your friends or family, read these very simple party-hosting tips. They’ll help make the last party of 2017, (and the first of 2018), one to remember. 1: Party Trays No New Year’s Eve party is complete without appetizers! But why spend extra time in the kitchen preparing, when you can order some gourmet party trays. A cheese plate or two is a NYE celebration staple. We recommend our Rustic European, and the Spinach and Artichoke

Cocktails and Christmas tend to go hand in hand. Whether it’s a decadent twist on hot cocoa or a sweet and spiced cider cocktail, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to sip a few fancy drinks during the most wonderful time of the year. Perhaps you need to get through an awkward work mixer, or maybe it’s the only way to tolerate a certain in-law. Regardless of your reason this season, these festive Christmas cocktails are sure to keep your spirits high and your Grinch low. Candy Cane Cocktail Ingredients For Candy Cane Infused Vodka: 1 cup

The holidays are here and that means family, friends, parties, and, unfortunately, lots of time in the kitchen. For those who aren’t confident in their cooking skills, are unsure what to bring to the office party, or just don’t want to spend the holidays in the kitchen trying to keep everybody fed – a Spec’s party tray may be just the answer you’re looking for. With platters featuring artisanal cheeses, savory tenderloin, charcuterie, sliders, sandwiches and so much more, Spec’s will keep your guests satisfied and you out of the kitchen. Just give Spec’s a call at 888-526-8787 or go

Today marks the celebration of #NationalCocoaDay! Hot cocoa is the warm, and velvety holiday drink that you’re never too old for. If you’re craving your winter cocoa fix, we have some perfect hot cocoa cocktail recipes to satiate your sweet tooth. Mix up one of these confectionary concoctions or mix up your own cup of hot cocoa and tag it with #NationalCocoaDay on social media. If you want to experiment with a boozy cocoa cocktail of your own, here are some other delicious hot cocoa brands at Spec’s. Try one out, then spice it up with your favorite brandy, rum

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means the holiday stress is just starting to peak. We’re going to take care of that with some wine pairing tips you and your guests will be grateful for! Here are a few ways to go about this. One White, One Red A good and simple strategy for Thanksgiving wine is to select a very good white and a very good red, offering your guests their choice. For reds, look for soft tannins that will yield to and blend with your dishes, like Pinot Noir, Syrah, a fruity Zinfandel, Merlot, Beaujolais Nouveaux or a

After spending an hour or so devouring plate after plate of Thanksgiving dinner, there’s no physiological reason you should have room for dessert, but let’s be real – most of our stomachs contain a magical wormhole that leads to another stomach dimension where we apparently have plenty of room for dessert. And it’s no wonder this secret portal exists, as no Thanksgiving meal is complete until we’ve dug into our second (or third) slice of pie. Pie is the universal Thanksgiving Day dessert and if you’re going to unbutton your pants, there’s no better reason than another slice of pie!

With the cold starting to creep in, it’s time to start unpacking sweaters and stockpiling firewood—and nothing is better than a hot and boozy beverage to warm you from the inside out. Warm adult drinks seem to fall into three different camps: drinks that resemble tea or a hot toddy, drinks that are sweet and creamy, and drinks that are mulled or spiced. This season is the reason we’ve collected 9 surefire recipes for warmth. Hot Honey Lemon with Vodka Ingredients Vodka, to taste ½ cup honey or agave 4 cups water 1 lemon, zested and sliced 1-2 cinnamon sticks

It’s officially fall and you know what that means – pumpkin spice everything! It’s the same seasonal madness that draws us toward shiny red hearts in February or rocket pops at the Fourth of July: for a few months out of every year, we collectively crave the very particular, very peculiar flavor of pumpkin, wherever we can get it. We tend to lean toward the, generally least intrusive, pumpkin delivery system of a fall cocktail. You’ll see it most often with bourbon or whiskey, or one of those creamy pumpkin pie kind of drinks, but we know not everyone is

Time flies when you’re having rum! September 20th is National Rum Punch Day. But celebrating solo is no way to honor a holiday like this. So here are a few punch recipes you can mix up into a pitcher and enjoy with your rum-loving pals. For more rummy recommendations, ask the Specs-perts at your local Spec’s store. ‘Make A Mango Crazy’ Punch (Pitcher) Ingredients 16 oz Bacardi Rum, Light 8 oz orange juice 8 oz mango nectar 4 oz pineapple 80 mint leaves, torn or thinly sliced 8 pineapple wedges Directions In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients except

Whiskey is made all over the US and there are more and more distilleries popping up all of the time. We’ve put together a list of 6 American whiskeys that are worth taking a break from your usual. But first, let’s go into some detail about whiskey and bourbon. All bourbon is whiskey is but not all whiskey is bourbon. The folks over at Jim Beam say, "Bourbon is kinda like whiskey's 'sweet spot' … because corn is a sweet grain. The more corn, the sweeter the whiskey. And to be called bourbon, it must be at least 51 percent

With Harvey, the Texas Gulf Coast’s first major tropical storm of the season, looming off the coast, we’ve started thinking about what beers we’d like to make sure and have in our fridge just in case things get rough, and the thought struck us… Why don’t we stock up on tropical beers for tropical storms?! Many of the hot, new hop varietals like Mosaic, Galaxy, Citra and Amarillo are prized for their bright, tropical fruit character. Their use in Pale Ales and IPAs have created a deluge of beautiful hop forward beers like: Pub Crawl American Pale Ale, 4.7% Saint