Malaysia has claimed its first-ever World Brewers Cup title, with 38-year-old barista and green coffee professional Nas Jaafar winning the 2026 championship in Brussels on 27 June and signalling the country’s arrival as a serious force on the global competition stage.
According to Malay Mail and other local outlets, Nas topped a field of national champions from more than 50 countries, finishing ahead of finalists from Australia, Hong Kong SAR, the Czech Republic, South Korea and France in the three-day event held 25–27 June and sanctioned by the World Coffee Championships.
Wargabiz reported the final rankings as Nas Jaafar in first place, followed by Simon Gautherin (Australia), Bavis Kwong (Hong Kong SAR), Jackie Tran (Czech Republic), Ethan Junseong Park (South Korea) and Angie Molina (France), underscoring the international spread of talent in this year’s line-up.
For the first time in the competition’s history, a Malaysian competitor stood on the top step of the Brewers Cup podium, and local outlet Newswav noted that Malaysia had never previously reached the final at this event.
The World Brewers Cup is part of the World Coffee Championships circuit, which in 2026 is being staged across Brussels, Dubai and Bangkok, according to Malay Mail and youth-focused publication Remaja.my.
Describing the demands of the format, Nas told FMT that “Everything is scored. Not just the coffee itself, but how I brew, how long I brew, even how many circles I make with the kettle,” referring to the 10‑minute service presentation and compulsory brewing round in which baristas must quickly analyse and brew an unfamiliar coffee.
For his winning routine, Nas used a natural anaerobic Geisha from Finca Nuguo in Panama, and told Malay Mail that his presentation explored “how resistance affects water flow, extraction and the final cup.” He added that he wanted to show that understanding resistance could guide brewers “toward better results.”
The road to Brussels involved intense preparation. According to FMT, Nas and head coach Jhon Christhoper of Indonesia’s Fugol Coffee Roasters brewed up to 50 cups a day during peak training, with Newswav reporting that this work began in early 2024 after Nas finished fifth at the Malaysia Brewers Cup.
Speaking to Malay Mail, Jhon said that unexpected heat in Brussels altered how the coffee tasted and forced last‑minute changes: “The unexpected heat in Brussels changed how the coffee tasted, and we received more feedback that required script changes,” he noted, highlighting the combination of technical and presentational pressure at the world level.
Nas’s personal journey has become part of the story for Malaysia’s specialty community. He told FMT that he is a college dropout with only the Malaysian SPM certificate and said, “I started with nothing. I was a college dropout, so I only had SPM. But when I started making coffee, I felt this was where I could grow.” FMT and Wargabiz report that he entered the industry in 2014 after initially being rejected twice when applying to a major international coffee chain.
Over the past decade, Nas has worked as a barista, quality controller and café owner before joining UK‑based green trader Falcon Coffees as Southeast Asia Specialty Sales Representative, according to FMT, Wargabiz and a LinkedIn post by Falcon founder and CEO Konrad Brits.
Domestically, Nas’s competitive arc mirrors Malaysia’s broader rise. Wargabiz notes that he began competing in 2019 in the Malaysia Barista Championship, placed fifth at the national Brewers Cup in 2024 according to Newswav, and then won the 2025 Malaysia Brewers Cup title representing Falcon Coffees, as recorded by the Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA).
That trajectory sits alongside a string of recent Malaysian results on the world stage. FMT reports that Regine Wai finished as first runner‑up at the World Brewers Cup in 2018, while Newswav highlights Jason Loo’s fourth place at the 2025 World Barista Championship and Jacky Chang’s first runner‑up finish at the 2026 World Latte Art Championship.
Local media including Malay Mail, Newswav and Wargabiz describe Malaysia’s specialty coffee scene as having grown rapidly over the past decade, with independent cafés, micro‑roasters and barista training programmes, and suggest that Nas’s win is expected to bring international attention and lift standards in sensory training, brewing precision and coffee education.
The victory has drawn strong reactions within Malaysia. Youth outlet Remaja.my, citing an official MSCA statement, quoted the association thanking Nas for his “hard work” and “dedication” and for showing “the world what our coffee community is capable of,” while Malay Mail relayed industry figure Jimmy’s view that “This achievement will be a powerful catalyst for us to move forward and grow together as coffee professionals.”
In a LinkedIn post, Falcon Coffees’ Konrad Brits said he watched Nas’s finals routine, “struggling to comprehend the pressure of combining narrative with precision brewing,” and concluded that “Nas nailed it,” adding that everyone at Falcon was proud of the champion.
Looking ahead, FMT and Malay Mail report that Nas has said he is in no rush to chase another world title and instead wants to share his experience with younger baristas, while the MSCA confirms that the Malaysia National Coffee Championship 2026 semi‑finals and finals are scheduled for 15–17 July at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
