• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Houston First
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Inside the cathedral

    Taste me if you can: Weedwacker, the first of Saint Arnold's new beer series,starts its fleeting run

    Joel Luks
    Aug 15, 2010 | 5:52 pm
    • Weedwacker, meet. Lawnmower. Lawnmower, meet ..
      Photo by Joel Luks
    • Definitely left. Definitely.
      Photo by Joel Luks
    • Lennie Ambrose, beer guru at Saint Arnold, is quick to share his passion.
      Photo by Joel Luks
    • Pious observance is recommended: Saint Arnold of Soissons, Patron Saint ofBrewers.
      Photo by Joel Luks
    • Bags and bags and bags of malt.
      Photo by Joel Luks
    • A captive audience learns all about Saint Arnold "Moveable Yeast" programfeaturing limited edition brews highlighting yeast's impact.
      Photo by Joel Luks

    A place where yeast (and its movement) really matters isn't as hard to find as I thought.

    Behaving like a 5-year-old is even easier. Saying yeast is often followed by a surge of self-containment, an effort not to giggle immaturely. I often fail miserably.

    I surprised myself when I was successful recently, perhaps since I was in the presence of two esteemed CultureMap colleagues who obviously take their beer with pseudo-pious religiosity.

    After all, this was a different type of yeast and I was ready to learn all about it.

    I came to Saint Arnold Brewing Company to taste and to offer commentary. I had already exhibited my mischievous critiquing skills in a Heights Idol competition, I could handle beer, I thought.

    The occasion? Beginning Monday, Saint Arnold will debut Weedwacker, the first of the “Moveable Yeast” series. Moving yeast? Will it dance?

    Not quite, but you might after drinking a few brews.

    “What we did is replace the yeast in our best-selling brew, Lawnmower, and replaced its Kolsch yeast with Bavarian Hefeweizen yeast,” Saint Arnold beer guru Lennie Ambrose explained. “That way, one can drink the two beers side by side and compare the effect yeast has on flavor.”

    Beers that are meant to be enjoyed in pairs? Twin beers. From the same daddy, but more than slightly different.

    Upon close inspection, Weedwacker is slightly cloudy, unfiltered au naturel, while Lawnmower is crystal clear. And their flavors? Astonishingly different.

    Weedwacker’s has a golden smokey color coupled with a sweet and nutty aroma and a slight fruity and pleasant bouquet. Gentle banana flavors emerged peeling the complex tones with a clean finish. Surprisingly, considering Weedwacker’s shortened fermentation time of 10 days — Lawnmower requires two weeks — the beer's depth was titillating.

    Possible food pairings? If you must, consider Weedwacker a lighter Heveweizen. It would compliment lighter seafood, pizzas, fruit and light deserts.

    But that was only the start of my education on this pilgrimage.

    Regretfully, I had never taken beer too seriously but upon entering the brewery, I knew this was no joking matter.

    Opening the brewery's oversized monastery-like double iron doors, I was welcomed by a medieval apparition. Unaware of the behavioral decorum for interacting with him, I walked past him, only making the connection later: Behold Saint Arnold of Soissons, Patron Saint of Brewers.

    A saint of the Roman Catholic Church?

    Saint Arnie preached against drinking water due to contamination from the sewage system (which was more than primitive in his time) while asserting that "from man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world."

    Inside, we meet Ambrose, a veteran with Saint Arnold, who educated us about the components of beer: Water, yeast, malted barley and hops.

    Whereas some breweries use not-so-pleasant additives — like isinglass, made from the swim bladders of fish or animal albumin, egg albumin and dried blood powder — Saint Arnold folks are purists.

    Yeast has traditionally been the forgotten neglected step-child of beer ingredients. While most seem to play around with hops and malted barley, little attention is paid to the huge influence that yeast has on the flavor of beer.

    We're all about to find out the difference. Fleetingly.

    Weedwacker’s availability, like the fame of most American Idol winners, will come and go rather quickly. There are only 60 barrels and given a somewhat backwards law, Weedwacker’s whereabouts cannot be revealed by Saint Arnolds until its release on Monday.

    Rumors tell us that our friends at Anvil Bar and Refuge, the Flying Saucer, Onion Creek, Cedar Creek, Rudyards and McGonigel’s Mucky Duck among others will carry the beer. Care to be current? Join the cool kids and follow @SaintArnold on twitter.

    Lawnmower needs no introduction. Crisp and refreshing, its popularity rose in 2007 as gold medalist of the Great American Beer Festival. With citrus notes, the influence of the malt is more apparent here.

    I noticed one of my tasting buddies was not finishing her share, so I volunteered to help out. What are friends for after all?

    An expert's take:

    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    wineapalooza, maybe

    Houston wine bar pioneer now pouring and teaching at Heights cafe

    Holly Beretto
    Mar 3, 2026 | 9:15 am
    Caffvino coffee shop wine bar
    Courtesy of Caffvino
    Caffvino is now open on Heights Blvd.

    When Caffvino Coffee and Wine Bar opened in the Heights last August, the plan was always to be a spot for coffee and pastries during the day that transitioned into serving wine and desserts in the late afternoon and evening.

    The brainchild of Andy Adams, formerly of The Corkscrew and his business partner Chuck Russell, who headed Solero and Farrago, Caffvino set out to be a neighborhood spot with a chill vibe and welcoming atmosphere.

    While Caffvino may have been ready to serve wine, it couldn’t do so legally until February 17, when it officially received its liquor license. Now, customers can call for a glass any day after noon.

    They’ll find around 20 options by-the-glass and bottle, all of it selected by Adams, who built a following at The Corkscrew for his non-pretentious approach to wine.

    “This is all stuff I like to drink,” he says of his list. “It focuses on small distributors, small production. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

    Translation: customers shouldn’t get too attached to a selection, as specific wines will come and go quickly. Instead, they can approach it like a never-ending wine adventure. And Adams is happy to be the tour guide on such a journey, whether it’s for wine newbies or those who can already wax lyrical over vintages and varietals.

    Caffvino is launching its first Corkscrew U wine tasting experience on Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and Adams intends to offer at least four different wines for sampling, along with snacks. In a post about the class on Facebook, those singing up are told to expect an experience heavy on “audience participation,” and that they should “be prepared to be chatty because believe me, Andy is.”

    Adams has always been about making wine feel approachable for his customers, and he sees the wine classes and wine service at Caffvino as continuing that tradition.

    “We wanted to create a fun, relaxed space here, where you come in in the morning and get your coffee to start the day, and you come back and have some wine and end the day with us,” he said. “I’m not gonna rule out some kind of scaled-down version of wineapalooza, but I think smaller, intimate wine events are going to be great.”

    On a recent Saturday, couples sat on the sun-dappled porch sipping wine, while a few folks sat at tables in the side room working on laptops. Adams was behind the bar, sharing one of his current favorites,

    “This mother will change your life,” he said, pouring Marques del Silvo Gran Reserva Rioja into a glass for a customer. “I love to find wines that punch above their weight, and Spain delivers on that constantly. Finding a reserva at this price point is just a treat. And it’s light enough to be enjoyed without food.”

    It sells for $10 a glass and $38 a bottle.

    He also recommended the 2024 Lapis Luna Sauvignon Blanc from California’s North Coast.

    “Basically, it’s a California price point, but it drinks like it’s from the south of France,” he said about the wine, which sells for $9 a glass and $36 for a bottle.

    Caffvino coffee shop wine bar
    Courtesy of Caffvino
    Caffvino is now open on Heights Blvd.
    the-heightswine
    news/restaurants-bars
    Loading...