Spec’sology Blog - Entertain

Easter dinner brings about the questions of what wine to pair with ham, or which one goes with lamb, or what pairs with both? Instead of trying to pair with the meal, what about pairing with the season? Thankfully it’s Spring, and that means Rosé is arriving fresh from the fields with its juicy zing that pairs perfectly well with ham and lamb, as well as lighter opening dishes. But it’s not just Rosé that can enliven your Easter dinner, as you’ll see we’ve provided several options that pair wonderfully with the season and your plate. Bliss Chardonnay This Estate

‘Tis the season of ghouls, ghosts, and wicked parties to host! Halloween is the time of year when adults get to dress up and have just as much fun as the kids, but when throwing a party, it helps to stick to the adult side of things. A poorly planned Halloween party can end up with only half the guests wearing costumes, a paper skeleton taped to the wall, and a plastic jack-o’-lantern sitting by a bowl of chips. This is not what you want to do. This is not what your guests want to attend. This is a big

The Spec’s family believes that helping others is life-changing. We appreciate how important it is to give what we can to alleviate the pains of those who suffer, whether it’s physical, financial, or emotional. That’s why we’ve been promoting various charities around Texas through our stores and asking you, our loyal customers, to help us raise much needed funds to advance these causes. Heroes For Children Last month, Spec’s focused on Heroes for Children, a Dallas organization that reaches across the state to families who have a child affected by cancer. Their founders lost both children to leukemia and have

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

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

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

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

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

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

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