Today I squealed in excitement at a box outside a vintage shop full of £2 crockery. This is the kind of thing that makes my eyes widen, my heart beat faster and the irresponsible adult in me go ‘ooooh I’ve got an overdraft to exercise’. So imagine how I felt walking down the street clutching a bag full of beautiful mismatching plates and seeing this cute newbie on Friar Street.

Sable & Flea is coffee shop & vintage store and I have a feeling it’s my new favourite Stirling haunt…sorry Groundhouse. I’ve always had an affinity with this shop, it used to be a children’s clothing place called The Honeytree. My Mum bought most of my ‘fancy’ clothes from there until I was about 4 years old, it was a beautiful old fashioned shop and that carnival horse (which I’m SO GLAD they kept) had a bloody waiting list! When it closed down last year I was really sad, even if I hadn’t shopped there in quiiite a while, but it was a shame to see it go. I’m really chuffed that it has been used in this way.

We had a couple of post-walk hot chocolates to warm up our cold fingers and they were ideal. Frothy and thick, and those are some excellent sized marshmallows. We didn’t eat but I had a nosey at the menu anyway, it’s an ideal change from the usual fayre in Stirling and I’m going back to try some of the fantastic looking fresh bread.

The vintage buys are so tempting, but not anywhere near as cheap as my £2 finds. They are clearly handpicked and I looked around thinking, ‘I want that, I want that too’ but I’ve been trying to cut back on my taxidermy recently…

If you’re offended by taxidermy, you’re on the wrong blog. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not off out to the Trossachs with a shotgun, but really old vintage taxidermy that was done in a time before people thought ‘oh hey wait maybe we shouldn’t kill helpless animals for fun?’ is fair game (excuse the pun). Would you rather these vintage treasures sit in a damp back room somewhere or actually get to be enjoyed and have another kind of life? I really wanted this little squirrel pal, but I held back. Mainly because he’s so at home in the beautiful little cafe!

Can we also take a second to enjoy my new jumper? I’m becoming quite the social media geek after giving myself a kick up the backside to advance my knowledge and I just HAD to have this ‘trending‘ number from New Look.

So if you’re in Stirling and fancy an ideal place for a cute lunch or somewhere reasonably priced to take your mum, I know that one is often a struggle, then Sable & Flea is for you.

Find it on Friar Street, next to Europa. Don’t have a go on the horse, you’re too big now, get over it.

I honestly don’t work for BrewDog. Promise! I’ve just got a bit of a brand crush and I’m flirting outrageously. The team invited myself and some other lovely Stirling Bloggers along for a Beer School this week and it’s safe to say I learnt a LOT. I don’t want to write too much about it though, which may seem counter productive for a blog but I’d rather tempt you all with snippets and hear that you’ve booked a lesson.

First off, don’t go in thinking it’s an actual school day. There’s no test, they don’t put you on the spot and you’re still correct if you think your beer smells like a pet shop (It did ok!)

I’d thoroughly recommend booking up if you want to learn the secrets behind the names of the beers (5AM Saint is a particularly cool one) and be taught the perfect way to smell and further taste your beer.

A warning though, it’s definitely pushed my levels of beer snob up a few notches. Pre-school I could quite happily neck a pint of cheap lager or drink a slightly warm desperados and think it was tasty.  Now I look out for Punk IPA on offer in Tesco and I’ll have a peer over the bar to check the fridges for the distinct BrewDog bottles…or at least I’ll have a Guinness.

We tried 5 different beers, all completely different and I definitely have a new favourite go-to after it. So let’s enjoy some photos and a few tasting notes on the beers. There’s even a little video at the end for you, please excuse my editing skills – it’s been about 6 years since I even opened an editor.

This is Lager 4.7%
Tasting notes: Bit lemony and nicer than any standard watery lager.
Overall thoughts: Not a huge fan, but Tina loves an ice cold lager on a hot day on holiday so this one is for her.

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier 5.4%
Tasting notes: Foam bananas. Seriously, you have to try this one and think of chocolate covered foam bananas.
Overall thoughts: Huge fan! This is definitely my new favourite to have next time I’m in.

Punk IPA 5.6%
Tasting notes: Fruit, pineapple, mango, frrrrrresshhh.
Overall thoughts: My all time favourite and I doubt I’m alone. You can get it in Tesco so there’s no excuse not to try it.

5AM Saint 5%
Tasting notes: Malty, sweet and kinda caramel-y.
Overall thoughts: Not a big fan but the story behind the name is pretty cool.

Death by Coconut 6.5%
Tasting notes: Urggghhh so goooood. Coconut, coffee, chocolate, all the good things.
Overall thoughts: A strong favourite but I could only have one before it got too much.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin 32%
I actually forgot to take a photo of this, maybe because it literally blew my mind.
Tasting notes: It’s not beer, it can’t be, surely not. Superbly strong, more like a syrupy whisky. Swoosh it around your mouth if you can stand it then swallow and breath out through your nose. Insane.
Overall thoughts: Never again but it’s a ‘try it once in your life’ thing. It only comes in 25ml measures in the bar funnily enough.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the eats too. We were needing a little break by the time we got to the third beer and these beauties appeared. That blue cheese with a sip of the 5AM Saint? Oh my. Plus that last bit of charcuterie on the bottom is venison, properly properly tasty.

I hope I’ve managed to peak your interest in going back to school. You don’t actually have to take notes like I did, but my scribblings meant I could write this with some shred of knowledge that the 32% beer didn’t wipe out!

Check out this little video (I knowwwww it’s 4:3, I’m sorry!) and get booking by emailing stirlingbar@brewdog.com