Spec’sology Blog

Best Drink Pairings for Irish Food - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Best Drink Pairings for Irish Food

Spec’sology Blog, Holidays, Pairings
Instead of writing this in an Irish accent with references to leprechauns and green beer, we’re going to throw a little Irish culture at you. And by culture, we mean food. Not many of us stateside are familiar with traditional Irish fare, and assume corned beef and cabbage is a favorite on the dinner tables of Ireland. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Corned beef and cabbage actually comes from the early days of Irish immigrants in America, not Ireland itself. So, we’re going to focus on... Read More
Top Ten Peanut Butter Whiskeys - Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods

Top 10 Peanut Butter Whiskeys

Spec’sology Blog, Spirits
Estimated Reading Time: 3 MinutesPeanut butter whiskey is about as American as a spirit can get! The combination of whiskey and peanut butter may seem unconventional, but it makes delicious sense once it hits your tongue. The United States boasts the largest concentration and greatest diversity of whiskey production globally. Meanwhile, peanuts and peanut butter are widely available across the world, but no other country has integrated them into their cuisine as extensively as America has. So…... Read More
Top Ten Texas Bourbons - Shop Bourbon at Spec's

Top 10 Best Texas Bourbons

Spec’sology Blog, Spirits
All About Texas BourbonsThey say everything is bigger in Texas, and nowadays that goes for bourbon too! Texas has become a hotspot for up-and-coming spirits as well as the base of operations for several established Texas-owned distilleries. In fact, there are so many that we thought it’d be helpful if we gathered up all of our favorite Texas bourbons and gave you a little rundown on each.Cheers! Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon Distilled in Fort Worth, TX Blackland has partnered ex... Read More
6 Must-Try Texas Gins - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Top Texas Gins

Spec’sology Blog, Spirits

At its core, gin is simply a neutral spirit that has been flavored with a specific recipe of botanicals (herbs, roots, and citrus). By definition, juniper berries must be a part of that recipe as they give gin its defining flavor.

Thankfully for us, the Texas Hill Country is packed with natural flavors. From native pecan trees and rustic lavender to juniper trees and wild rosemary, our local landscape is awash in botanical inspiration.

Gin has been around since the thirteenth century, so w... Read More

10 Must-Try Malbecs - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

10 Must-Try Malbecs

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

Malbec wines are known for their exotic flavor, deep purple color, and for being the quintessential big red. They’re made from a dark variety of grapes that are tricky to mature properly without the topography of a valley and an equatorial climate. Malbec wines require a lot of sunlight and high elevation spots, making them not as common as other red wines in the west. That’s why most Malbecs are sourced from South America and Southern parts of Europe.

The Malbec grape originates from Fra... Read More

Easy To Make Party Cocktails - Spec'c Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Easy To Make Party Cocktails

Spec’sology Blog, Drink Recipes

Throwing a cocktail party at home is a great opportunity to ensure your bar is fully stocked with everything you’ll need to keep the good times flowing! From spirits and mixers to liquors and syrups, we’ve put it all together for you and even thrown in some recipes!

 
Tools
You can usually find a bartender tool set that has most of what you need, but there are a few staples you should never skimp on. Like a shaker for mixing drinks, a strainer for pouring them, a jigger for measuri... Read More

7 Best Mardi Gras Cocktails - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

7 Best Mardi Gras Cocktails for Fat Tuesday

Spec’sology Blog, Drink Recipes, Holidays

Mardi Gras is all about overindulgence, in fact, the name itself is French for Fat Tuesday. It takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and is a celebration of all the rich food and drinking excessiveness before the leaner days of Lent begin. The most famous Mardi Gras celebration in America takes place in New Orleans, home to some of the richest food and an abundance of alcohol in the US.

Check out some of our favorite Fat Tuesday tipples to put the party in your mardi and laissez les bo... Read More

Valentine's Day Wine & Cheese Pairings - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Valentine’s Day Wine & Cheese Pairings

Spec’sology Blog, Holidays, Pairings

A lot of time is spent crafting the perfect wine pairing for Valentine’s Day dinner, and for good reason as the right wine can take an average meal to a whole new level. But what about before the meal? A wine and cheese appetizer is an excellent way to set the mood for a classy evening.

As purveyors of fine wines and gourmet cheese, we might have some ideas to help get you started!
Wine & Cheese Pairings
Moscato D’Asti + Gorgonzola
Funkier cheeses call for a sweeter wine, and the f... Read More

Best Martini Recipes - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

The Best Martini Recipes

Spec’sology Blog, Drink Recipes, Spirits

The martini is a timeless classic. It never falls out of fashion as it is fashion. And there’s never a shortage of Bond films to remind us of its cool factor as well as to pique the interest of younger generations. Numerous theories on the cocktail’s origins exist, as do numerous versions and recipes. From gin or vodka to fruity or savory, the martini is a jack of all trades. Although, attaching “tini” to the end of a cocktail usually just means it’s served in a v-shaped glass, often c... Read More

Lowest Calorie Alcohol Drinks

Spec’sology Blog, Drink Recipes

Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or Dry January, lots of folks are trying to lighten up for the new year. So, we’ve put together some of our low calorie and low to no alcohol favorites that’ll having you raising a glass to another glass!

 
Barefoot Pinot Grigio

91 calories per 4 oz serving, 0g sugar, 3.1g carb, 12.5% ABV
A crisp and light-bodied wine that goes down smoothly
Aroma: Tropical fruits, citrus peels, and a charming floral accent
Palate: Tart green ap... Read More

10 Must-Try Texas Liquors - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

10 Must-Try Texas Liquors

Spec’sology Blog, Spirits
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and nowadays that goes for liquor too! The Lone Star state has become a hotspot for up-and-coming spirits as well as the base of operations for several established Texas liquor brands. We’ll be taking a look at some of these and introducing you to a few new ones you may not have heard of yet.Best Texas Liquors Tito’s Handmade Vodka If you haven’t heard of Tito’s, you must have just gotten here so, Welcome to Texas! Tito’s Handmade Vodka is prod... Read More
Best Mocktail Recipes for 2023 - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

The Best Mocktail Recipes for 2023

Spec’sology Blog, Drink Recipes

It’s time for Dry January and we’ve got some super tasty mocktails to help get you through it in style! Gone are the days of simply excluding alcohol to make a virgin cocktail. Nowadays, mocktails have basically started a whole new category of delicious drinks with their own unique ingredients. So, whether it’s a substitution, a variation, or a standalone sipper, we’ve got you covered with some mouthwatering favorites for Dry January!

 
Salted Watermelon Juice
Ingredients
Make... Read More