WonderBrew, Malaysia’s home-grown brand of kombucha (fermented tea), made history on the global stage by clinching six prestigious titles at the World Kombucha Awards 2025, held last week in Barcelona, Spain.
In its first-ever international competition, WonderBrew emerged as one of the biggest winners at this year’s event, clinching one Gold, four Silvers, and one Bronze, across both Taste and Design categories.
This victory marks the first time a Malaysian brand has won at the World Kombucha Awards and the first time an Asian brand has secured six titles in a single award year.
The winning entries are:
- One Gold (Taste) for Passionfruit Mint Kombucha (also WonderBrew’s best-selling kombucha of all time);
- Three Silvers (Taste) for Nihon Green Tea Kombucha, Mango Jasmine Kombucha, and Raspberry Lemon Jun Tea;
- One Silver (Design) for Nihon Green Tea (World’s Best Bottle Design Category); and,
- One Bronze (Taste) for Pink Guava Jun Tea
The World Kombucha Awards (WKA), now in its third year, is a globally-recognised competition organised in collaboration with Kombucha Brewers International (KBI). It celebrates excellence in the fast-growing kombucha industry by honouring brewers for both quality and creativity.
This year’s edition was its most competitive yet, featuring 360 entries from 39 countries competing for top honours in 22 distinct categories, up from 250 entries in 2024. Each winning kombucha underwent rigorous assessment by a panel of six accredited judges over a two-day judging session with blind tasting sessions.
WonderBrew’s success stands as a remarkable achievement, not just for the brand but also for Malaysia’s presence in the global functional beverage scene.
“We started with a small dream of making kombucha accessible to every Malaysian. Winning these awards among the world’s best brewers is an incredible milestone, and we’re proud to fly the Malaysian flag high in Barcelona,” said Joseph Poh Wen Xian, co-founder and CEO of WonderBrew. “This recognition proves that local innovation and passion can compete with the world’s best.”
Poh and co-founder Loke Boon Eng (Boon) started the brand on a small scale in 2018 and its offering of naturally-bubbly fermented tea with local flavours has won over thousands of health-conscious consumers.
Regional beverage powerhouse Loob Holding Sdn Bhd later took a strategic stake in the business. Commending WonderBrew for this historic win, founder and CEO of Loob Holding Bryan Loo said: “This achievement reflects the strength of Malaysia’s homegrown innovation and the growing global demand for functional wellness beverages. It validates our long-term vision to position WonderBrew as a regional leader in healthy, sustainable drinks while proving that Malaysian brands can compete successfully on the world stage.”
WonderBrew has grown to become Malaysia’s leading kombucha producer, with more than 2,000 retail touchpoints across supermarkets, convenience stores, cafés, hotels, and restaurants nationwide. The brand prides itself on sourcing locally and partnering with Malaysian farmers to recycle production waste, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and community empowerment.
The brand is well-positioned to tap into the rising global demand for functional and fermented beverages. According to recent industry reports, the global functional drinks market is projected to reach around US$248 billion by 2030, while the kombucha segment alone is forecast to hit US$9 billion in the same period.
Moving forward, WonderBrew plans to expand its footprint in Southeast Asia and introduce more lifestyle wellness drinks. Its entries featuring Jun Tea (a fermented green tea kombucha with honey), won two of its six medals proving this category has gained global recognition and endorsing WonderBrew’s excellence in this innovation.