Pineapple shaped glass in hand as the delicious concoction of white rum and coconut rum hits your lips while the cool sea breeze tussles your hair and the sound of the waves crash in the distance.
No this isn’t the Bahamas, the Maldives or St Tropez, this is a paradise much closer to home and without all the long passport queues, exhausting late-night transfers and sun lounge dramas.
That’s right your feet don’t even have to leave the ground to get a taste of the tropics thanks to Cafe Ahoy.
Located just a stone’s throw away from Aberdeen Beach, this nautical themed cafe – complete with quirky beach huts – has all the makings of the famous diner in the long-running Australian TV soap Home and Away minus the year-round sunshine and the infamous Alf Stewart.
“It’s quite a fun, nautical themed venue and we’re dog friendly which is good,” said Leanne Nicol, the marketing manager for Watermelon Catering, the company which owns the venue.
“We also have the outside terrace which is great and we’re a good pit stop as we’re so close to the beach.
“At the moment we’re focusing on our brunch offering and the boozy hard shakes.”
Yes you heard right, boozy hard shakes, aka milkshakes with alcohol and ice cream, are a thing, quite a big thing in fact.
“We do a Tennessee hard shake with Jack Daniels, Mackies salted caramel ice-cream with Biscoff sauce and crumb and blitzed and topped with cream so it’s a bit like a boozy dessert,” said Leanne.
“The Tennessee hard shake is my favourite as it tastes a little bit like a caramel version of the cream liqueur RumChata.”
Pina colada
Also proving popular is the pina colada, the classic beach cocktail but not as you know it.
“The pina colada is served in a pineapple shaped glass with white rum, coconut rum, pineapple, coconut and vanilla ice cream,” said Leanne.
Chilled out and super friendly, Leanne herself radiates everything Cafe Ahoy is all about.
“It’s a really chilled out atmosphere and we’ve also got outdoor beach huts,” said Leanne.
“During lockdown we got someone to come out and make these wooden huts which are great for summer.
“We’re all about that beachy vibe and it all ties in with the nautical theme.”
Fanta and strawberry ice cream
For a real taste of seaside nostalgia, the ice cream float is sure to rock your boat.
“We do ice cream floats which are very nostalgic,” said Leanne.
“People can choose the flavour of their ice cream float and they can choose the can of juice so you can mix and match the flavour, for example, you could have Fanta orange with strawberry ice cream.
“People can have whatever combo they would like.”
Vegan shakes
Ice cream floats aren’t the only taste of nostalgia at Cafe Ahoy as those of us of a certain age can revisit the joy of their childhood through cans of the tropical fizzy juice Lilt.
Vegans are also well catered for at Cafe Ahoy with plenty of drinks options available.
“We do a salted caramel vegan shake at the moment and the pina colada one can also be made vegan as well so it’s quite a good option if you’re dairy free or anything like that,” said Leanne.
“The shakes have been really popular especially on Deliveroo.
“We also do brunch cocktails as well like Bloody Mary and Aperol spritz.”
Push the boat out
And judging by the weather so far this summer, it looks like hot drinks will remain a strong favourite on the menu.
“We have boozy hot chocolates which are similar to the hard shakes,” said Leanne.
“One of the most popular is called Hit the Deck which is a jar of Sailor Jerry and salted caramel hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, cream, caramel sauce and Biscoff crumb on the top.
“We also do a Tia Maria hot chocolate and we’ll expand on that as the time goes on.”
Smoothies
The aptly named Push the Boat Out is heaven for those with a sweet tooth with a “jar o hot chocolate” with mini mallows, fresh whipped cream, chocolate sauce and Oreo cookie, as is the Daim bar hot chocolate which can be served with or without alcohol.
With the cafe going big on breakfast and brunch options – did I mention the pancake boards – there’s also plenty of alcohol-free tipples to choose from including healthy smoothies and moreish milkshakes.
“We do a pineapple, mango and passion fruit smoothie as well as a very green avocado one and a strawberry, raspberry and blackberry smoothie – they’re all very popular on Deliveroo,” said Leanne.
“We get a lot of orders via Deliveroo during the day.”
For a good caffeine fix, the cafe also has the right blend.
“We use the Aberdeen-based Caber Coffee,” said Leanne.
“And our tea comes from Eteaket in Edinburgh.”
From breakfast and brunch to pancake stacks, the cafe comes alive with customers when it opens its doors every Wednesday to Sunday from 8.30am to 3.30pm.
The private terrace can also be booked for special occasions and corporate functions.
“We are looking to open later during the summer especially with the outside area as well,” said Leanne.
“We’re always open for taking in parties or corporates in the evening because we’re licenced so we’re looking to fill that area.
“So if someone is looking to organise an event, the terraced area is great and even corporate stuff as well.”
A round of questions with Leanne Nicol
It’s the end of the day, what do you pour yourself?
At home, I’m a huge tea drinker so on a school night it would be a cuppa but a glass of red/white if I’m off the next day.
If you were a drink, what would you be and why?
I’d probably be a long island iced tea, lots of different levels to figure out and it’s easy to drink but packs a punch and gets you drunk easily.
Most unusual drink you’ve ever tried?
I had this cocktail once that had bacon fat vodka and cider which was interesting.
What’s the most under-rated drink?
A pina colada – I’m not long back from Cuba and haven’t stopped obsessing about them since. They are super old school but I feel they are under-rated these days.
What’s in your drinks cabinet at home?
Lots of fruity gins, rums and wine.
Best food and drink pairing?
I love seafood pasta dishes so that and a nice white wine.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what three drinks would be there with you?
Gin and lemonade, (lots of) fruit cider and a pina colada.
You have to make a drink to represent Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire. What would that be?
An Irn Bru ice cream float
You have to serve your favourite superhero or celebrity a drink. Who is it and what do you serve?
I don’t think I have a favourite celebrity but I am a fan of shows like The Apprentice so Alan Sugar and Gordon Ramsay so I’d serve up some shots for them both, sneaking in a wee Carolina Reaper (said to be the hottest pepper in the world) for fun.
Tell us a secret trick of the trade?
Always taste test. If you know what it tastes like and its consistent then it’s easier to sell.
For more information about Cafe Ahoy visit their website www.cafeahoy.co.uk/drink/ or go to their Facebook @cafeahoyaberdeen or Instagram pages @cafeahoyaberdeen.