From outsider to world champion: The story behind Malaysian Nas Jaafar’s historic World Brewers Cup victory
Malaysian coffee professional Nas Jaafar has won the 2026 World Brewers Cup in Brussels, marking the first time a Malaysian has secured the title. The victory is considered a major milestone for the country's growing specialty coffee industry.
Why it matters
It highlights the rising competitiveness of smaller nations in global niche industries and provides a significant morale boost for the Malaysian coffee community.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — When the announcer read out the name of the 2026 World Brewers Cup winner in Brussels, on June 27, there was a brief pause before the reality settled in. Malaysia had done something it had never done before.
Nas Jaafar had become the nation’s first World Brewers Cup champion.
For Nas, the moment still feels difficult to describe. “My first thought was, ‘You actually made it. Thank God,’” he says.
“After so much training, pressure and self-doubt, it felt like everything had finally come together. I also thought about my family, my team and everyone back home who supported me.”
Watching from backstage, his coach, Jhon Christhoper, was overcome with emotion when he realised that his protégé had placed ahead of finalists from Australia, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, South Korea and France.
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