Nas Jaafar, the Malaysian who brewed his way to a world title

PETALING JAYA: Before becoming the world’s best coffee brewer, Nas Jaafar couldn’t even land a job at one of the world’s biggest coffee chains.

Twice, the father of two applied for a position at this franchise. Twice, he was turned away. Rather than give up, Nas found another café willing to take a chance on him.

More than a decade later, the 38-year-old has made history by becoming the first Malaysian to win the World Brewers Cup, defeating around 50 national champions from across the globe.

His interest in coffee began around 2010 after friends working at chain coffee shops introduced him to the industry. In 2014, while still working a desk job, he took on a part-time role at the aforementioned café and quickly fell in love with the craft.

“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,” he told FMT Lifestyle.

Over the years, Nas worked as a barista, quality controller, and café owner before joining Falcon Coffees Asia, where he now works.

Held in Brussels on June 25-27, the World Brewers Cup eventually narrowed to six finalists: Australia, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, South Korea, France and, of course, Malaysia.

His triumph in the event – his first appearance on the international stage – was the culmination of years of hard work, including four years competing nationally before finally winning the Malaysia Brewers Cup last year.

This earned him the chance to represent the country.

The competition tests participants on more than just their brewing skills. They first have to deliver a carefully prepared 10-minute presentation while manually brewing coffee, before facing a compulsory round where they are given an unfamiliar coffee and 45 minutes to understand it before being judged.

“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,” Nas outlined.

Given that it was his first World Brewers Cup, winning the championship hadn’t really crossed his mind. “I thought maybe the best ranking I could get was second or third place.

“When they announced second place and it wasn’t my name, I was completely shocked. I just went blank. It felt unreal.”

It had been around eight years since Malaysia last made it into the final, he noted, referring to Regine Wai, who finished as first runner-up in 2018.

Now, Nas joins the trailblazers who have helped put Malaysia’s specialty coffee scene on the world map. Last year, Jason Loo placed fourth the World Barista Championship in Milan – the highest finish ever achieved by a Malaysian in that competition.

Irvine Quek won the World Latte Art Championship in 2018, paving the way for a string of Malaysian podium finishes.

For years, Nas had struggled with nerves whenever he competed. “I was always shaking when I practised. It took quite some time for me to really immerse myself in my presentation and the energy I wanted to bring on stage.”

Behind every 10-minute performance was months of preparation and a close-knit international support team led by head coach Jhon Christopher of Indonesia, an accomplished barista with multiple top finishes in international competitions.

Training often meant brewing dozens of cups each day – sometimes as many as 50. “What people see is only 10 minutes on stage, but the preparation takes months, sometimes years,” Nas added.

Having reached the pinnacle of competitive coffee, he is in no rush to chase another world title. His focus is now on giving back to the industry that first gave him an opportunity.

“If we really focus on the competitive scene in this industry, I think there’s a lot of potential for us to become even bigger. I now want to share my experience and knowledge with the younger generation of baristas,” he said.

Follow Nas Jaafar on Instagram.