Spec’sology Blog - Beer

Click here to view product. Kalahari Biltong “Kalahari Biltong is an honest, simple product that shows, like well executed beer, what great ingredients, good processes and an attention to detail can produce. It pairs with just about any beer style and friends. We enjoyed it with blonde and amber lagers, especially a well-brewed Pilsner.” The craft beer movement was started almost 4 decades ago by people who had experienced good beer abroad and came home to find nothing commercially available of the quality that they had experienced. Kalahari Biltong shares a similar story. Three friends traveled to South Africa to

Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes In a world where wellness and indulgence increasingly intersect, many beer aficionados are seeking lighter alternatives that won't compromise flavor or enjoyment. Enter the realm of low-calorie beers, where brewers are crafting delicious brews with fewer calories, allowing you to savor the taste without sacrificing your health goals. In today’s blog, let’s take a closer look at five standout options available at Spec’s that are winning over beer enthusiasts seeking a healthier alternative. Athletic Run Wild IPA - 70 calories; 14g carbs Lagunitas Daytime IPA - 98 calories; 4g carbs Heineken Silver - 99 calories;

In order to celebrate National Lager Day, it helps to know what makes a beer a lager versus an ale. Not to blow your mind or anything, but all beers are either a lager or an ale and are made from a basic combination of water, malts, hops, and yeast. The difference is the type of yeast used and from this relatively small variant comes a whole slew of changes and differences that make these two beers very unique. Lagers - are made with bottom-fermenting yeast that work best at cooler temperatures, between 35° and 55° Fahrenheit. Fermentation happens more

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

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

Cheering on your team during the big game works up quite the appetite—and thirst! But before you rally up your game day party guests, be sure you’re prepared. It’s not just about stocking the cooler with old brews and tossing some pretzels in a big bowl. You could easily up the wow factor of your football watch party by pairing the right types of beer with gourmet foods. We’ve collected a few pairings suggestions so you can take your party to the next level of deliciousness! Pale Ale and Hot Wings or a Cheese Platter Ales tend to be a

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