Born in the Middle East and raised in Sweden, Aljaff’s pathway to bartending was far from conventional, much like the tattooed, no-shits-given style of the “five-star dive bars” he now runs. Lucky Schmuck, his most recent venture, is the third in his series of Catalan joints, following the roaring success of Two Schmucks, which is sitting comfortably in The World’s 50 Best Bars.

“I did this acid trip in India and I remember realising that throughout my formative years I’ve always felt left behind,” says Aljaff while sipping on an iced coffee in Fat Schmuck, the second venue in the trilogy. “It doesn’t matter what I do, I’ll always feel like I’m chasing the pack, which I guess is where I get some of my drive from.”

Aljaff’s determination has taken him far, but after slogging his way through torturous bar and hostel shifts, he found himself falling away from bartending in his mid 20s. However, a successful run in Bacardi Legacy gave him a new outlook on the industry.

“I was ready to give up on the bar industry in 2015,” adds Aljaff. “I thought I knew everything there is to know. I’d worked in high-volume bars for, like, six years, but I’d never made proper cocktails before. I remember one of the first challenges in Legacy that year was to make a perfectly balanced Daiquiri, and I was going around asking different competitors what to do.”

Against the odds, Aljaff went on to be runner-up in that competition, but meeting his future business partner, AJ White, was the real prize, as it led to opening of Two Schmucks.

“Building Two Schmucks came from a romantic place and turned into a real hustle, but what it made me realise was that I love creating shit. It really doesn’t matter what it is – it can be building a table for the bar or filming a promo – it’s the process which gets me excited. But once something is finished I take two breaths and then I’m looking for the next challenge.

“I think the pandemic was really telling on who was in it for the long run because, when people started panicking and saying things will never be the same, that’s when we doubled down and made sure we came back stronger. It doesn’t just happen by accident and the main thing for me is to carry on growing the brand.”

CREATING A SCENE

White and Aljaff were the original Schmucks behind the brand, but following White’s departure during lockdown, the torch has been passed to French duet Juliette Larrouy and Pom Modeste, who now head the flagship bar.

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“Because our venues are all on the same street, we’ve actually influenced the area and we have an opportunity to create our own bar scene, which is really exciting,” says Aljaff.

“People were concerned about the volume of clientele if we opened up in the same place, but for me it’s been an opportunity to show how diverse we can be within the brand. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got when opening a bar was to make sure it did as much for the local community as possible, because your neighbourhood is what makes the bar successful. Therefore taking it away from that area could be a risk.” 

What differentiates Two Schmucks from other bars in The World’s 50 Best is the combination of world-class drinks and a dive bar attitude, serving happy hour beers, shots and grilled cheese sandwiches.

“When I was growing up in Scandinavia, I worked in places where I’d have to turn up 30 minutes early and iron my shirt every day. Don’t get me wrong, I still love going to those kind of places and being looked after really well with a Martini served at the table, but at the same time I love the dive bar environment.

“I don’t see us as disruptive, I see us as an evolution within the industry. I think it was important for bartenders to wear suits and charge high prices for cocktails because it demanded more respect for the profession. And now that’s allowed us to take this different approach while retaining that level of respect for what we do. People now understand it’s about the product and the service and not just how it’s presented.”

For most bar owners, launching two venues during a pandemic would be enough, but Aljaff’s plans are only getting bigger and bolder. “Right now I have creative freedom, but the ultimate goal is to have financial freedom to open a site without any obstacles, or to host an event wherever we want and do what we want.”

As for recognising his own success, Aljaff doesn’t let himself rest on his laurels. “Occasionally I walk down the street and see my bars filled with people enjoying themselves and I make myself take a moment to enjoy it, breath it in. But only for a second or two.”