Spec’sology Blog - Holidays

We usually get Champagne for a celebration, and we usually want our celebrations to be perfect, right? The last thing you want is for your celebration to leave a bad taste in your guest’s mouth. And while you may have mastered the art of party planning from the music down to the napkins, we could all use a little help on picking the perfect Champagne! Our simple guide will help you choose the perfect bottle for any occasion, even if it’s just pizza on the couch! The Different Types of Champagne/Bubbly Champagne: If the bottle has Champagne (with a capital

Looking for the best holiday cocktails to impress the relatives? Well, lucky for you so were we, and that’s why we’ve got such a great list for you! Because everyone is different, we’ve narrowed it down to four cocktails that we think express the best flavors of the season. It’s the easiest way to have your family wowed and proud without becoming a doctor. North Pole Eggnog Ingredients 1 oz. Amaretto 1 oz. vodka 2 oz. store bought eggnog pinch of nutmeg pinch of cinnamon caramel sauce for rimming the glass Directions Rim a cocktail glass with caramel sauce. Shake

Nothing says Christmas in Texas like margaritas! Texans know there’s no such thing as tequila season and see no reason to relegate their cactus juice to the warmer months. Tequila is such a unique flavor that goes surprisingly well with seasonal holiday ingredients. Checkout our list of festive fermentations and cowboy up to a Texas Christmas! Smokey Santa Rita Ingredients 1 serrano chile 3 oz. fresh lime juice, plus wheels for rims and for serving 1 tsp. flaky sea salt 1 tsp. sumac (optional) 2 tsp. superfine sugar 2 tbsp. packed fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for serving 6 oz.

It’s a fact, nothing is more polarizing during the holidays than eggnog. Hate it or love it, you just can’t rise above it. Eggnog has been a part of our world for nearly a millennium thanks to some humans who got together and decided that guzzling a spiced and spiked egg-yolk-and-milk mixture was a good idea. And, seeing as you’re reading a nog blog nearly 1,000 years later, apparently, it was. Those who stand by the glory of eggnog often tell those who’d rather not partake in some nog to the noggin that they just haven’t had the real thing

Pairing wine with Thanksgiving turkey doesn’t have to be a stress-inducing struggle every year. Instead of trying to find the perfect wine for a large bird with a variety of flavors, we suggest you curate a selection that can be applied to specific parts or enjoyed with the entire meal. For a nice balance to your selections aim for lighter reds and heavier whites. But the best suggestion for wine pairings is to choose something you enjoy! Checkout our top 5 turkey and wine pairings and get ready to be thankful! Sparkling A light sparkling white is an excellent way

Thanksgiving is all about overindulging. And while you’ve got dinner pairings planned, you may not have thought about having a couple of casual cocktails on hand for before, after, or even during the meal. Not everyone wants to drink wine or beer all day, so having some refreshing seasonal cocktails to offer will definitely make you the host with the most…or if you’re looking to be the guest with the best, consider rolling up with the fixings needed for one of these delicious drinks. Cherry Sage Smash Ingredients 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon 4 brandied cherries ½ oz. of cherry

The perfect Thanksgiving is also the perfect gameday. You’ve already got friends and family gathered together, amazing food, and plenty of beverages for all! But if your game starts before you eat, you might want to have some easy snacks and cocktails on hand to keep everyone happy until dinner. Checkout some of our favorite recipes for easy sips and snacks. Drinks Old Fashioned Cowboy Ingredients 2 parts Maker’s Mark Bourbon 2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters 1 teaspoon raw cane sugar Orange peel Directions Dissolve or muddle sugar with bitters and a splash of Maker’s in an Old Fashioned glass.

Send summer off with a delicious bang with these perfect end of summer cocktails! Blood Orange Champagne Mule Ingredients 1 ½ oz. vodka juice of ½ a medium blood orange juice of ½ a lime 4 mint leaves 2 oz. chilled ginger beer Top off with chilled champagne or prosecco Directions Add all ingredients to a glass and top off with a splash of bubbly. Grilled Watermelon Margarita Ingredients 1 oz. Cointreau 2 oz. tequila 1 oz. fresh lime juice 0.5 oz. grilled watermelon syrup 0.5 oz. fresh grapefruit juice Directions Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake

Mother knows best and on Mother’s Day, she deserves the best! Spec’s has a great selection of gourmet sweets, gift baskets, accessories, and of course a Texas-sized selection of all her favorite beverages! Check out our Mother’s Day Gift Guide and save yourself some time when you get here or just order it all online and let Spec’s deliver it right to your door! Gourmet Gifts An amazing collection of Godiva Signature Truffles featuring innovative flavors that’ll deliver an unparalleled taste experience for even the most discerning chocolate lover. There’s nobody else quite like your mother and there’s nothing else

Coming up with things to keep the kids entertained during Easter has never been a problem, but what about activities for adults? Many of the things that work for kids can be easily adapted for adults. And, let’s be honest, after all the food prep and decorating, you deserve to have some fun as well! Check out some of our favorite Easter games you can play with adults of all ages! Mini Wine Bottle Easter Egg Hunt Single serving wine bottles make for the perfect treasure hidden inside your 21+ Easter eggs. You’ll need larger Easter eggs which you can

When Irish eyes start smiling, knowing the proper libation to serve will help keep them that way. That being said we’ve put together a list of the top, and some obscure, Irish potations for you to keep on hand this St. Patrick’s Day. Bunratty Irish Honey Mead Created from an old Irish recipe this mead is made of honey, white wine, and herbs and produces a fairly sweet mead well-suited for a variety of occasions. Served cold or slightly warmed, it pairs well with chicken or turkey, and is the perfect finish to a St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned

St. Patrick’s Day typically conjures images of green beer, tacky t-shirts, and terrible Irish accents. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, if you give us a minute, you’ll be the historically savvy fella spreading a smidge of knowledge about the man behind this gloriously green holiday! Patrick, “the patron saint of Ireland”, was actually born in Roman Britain, not Ireland. His birth name wasn’t Patrick either – it was Maewyn Succat, but he chose to go by Patricius. While his father was a deacon in the early Christian church, Patrick wasn’t much of a believer until he was