Spec’sology Blog

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

A hot Texas summer is the perfect time to pump the brakes and get out of the fast lane, and there’s no better reason to do so than National Rum Day. It’s time to raise a chilled glass of a pirate’s favorite pastime and kick back with a delicious rum drink. This year, why not stray from the herd and mix up something a little different. Rum’s versatile flavors allow it to be mixed into just about anything you want. Check out some of these rum recipes that’ll keep your cocktail umbrella in good spirits. Rum Old Fashioned Give the

For much of its history in American craft beer, the IPA has been a golden, or amber, beer with good clarity; meaning you can see straight through the glass. For any of you unaware, a movement has been under way for a handful of years now of IPAs that look like something other than what we’ve come to expect an IPA to look like. This movement, coming out of the Northeast, is towards IPAs that look cloudy like a hefeweizen (German wheat beer), resembling a glass of orange juice. Many articles have covered this trend (it’s not a fad, but

Bonne la Fête Nationale! Just like the United States has Independence Day, France has Bastille Day on July 14th. The date marks the beginning of Republican Democracy and the end of the tyrannical rule back in 1790. And to celebrate, we have the Liberation de Paris Wines! Make sure to HOP in to pick up a bottle to celebrate. Liberation de Paris Rosé $9.99 Liberation de Paris Pinot Noir $9.99 Liberation de Paris Bordeaux $11.99 Liberation de Paris Cotes du Rhone $11.99 Liberation de Paris Chardonnay $9.99 Liberation de Paris Cabernet Sauvignon $9.99 *Prices include 5% cash savings.

With the introduction of the pilsner hundreds of years ago, the look of a beer became a point of focus for drinkers. At the time, it was an interest in having brilliantly clear, golden beers like liquid sunshine. In recent years, starting in the American Northeast, a move towards cloudy beers, resembling orange or grapefruit juice, has begun. These “hazy” IPAs are prized for their bright, juicy hop-derived fruit flavors, restrained bitterness and softer mouthfeel. Texas being much further southwest than the Northeast, has taken a little while to participate in the trend. Offerings have started appearing as taproom or

Who is cognac? Cognac is that person you go on a date with who whispers, “I’m not like all the others, you know—I’m complex.” Intriguing. Bold. And yes. Very complicated in taste. Many think Cognac is difficult to pair with most foods—that she demands to be savored all by herself, with our palate’s full and undivided attention. But there’s a side to cognac you haven’t seen yet. A friendlier side. Cognac, with her balance of fruit and acidity is much easier to pair with foods than you’d think. So what is the secret to pairing cognac and food? Temper Cognac’s

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 from 4:30 to 8:30pm, Spec’s will host over 30 Bordeaux Chateau owners, directors, and/or winemakers presenting 59 mostly Cru Classé Bordeaux wines all from the fine 2014 vintage in a standup- and-walk-around tasting format. This is our fifth time to host such a delegation from Bordeaux and each of the previous events have been smashing successes. By appellation, they include … Pomerol: Chx. Clinet, Gazin, Croix St. Georges, and La Pointe (along with 2nd vin Ballade de La Pointe) St. Emilion: Chx. Canon la Gaffeliere, Clos l’Oratoire, Canon, Daugay, Grand Corbin Despagne, La Confession, Larcis