YALA Wins Big: 7 Medals

We’ve just returned from the World Alcohol-Free Awards with 7 awards in 2026, bringing YALA to 16 international awards in 3 years.

This year’s wins:

Gold — Yuzu & Chilli
Gold — Royal Velvet (Ya Bao)
Silver — Berries
Silver — Crown Oolong
Bronze — Jasmine Pearls
Commended — Jewel Dew
Commended — Lavender & Rosemary

What we’re most proud of is that these aren’t just one-off successes. They span completely different flavor profiles — citrus and spice, floral, deep tea-forward, experimental — and they’ve all been recognised in the same year.

Because the real challenge isn’t making something great once. It’s making it consistently, in a process that’s alive and constantly changing. Fermentation doesn’t give you that easily — you have to build for it. That’s always been our ethos: quality first, consistency always.

It’s also not the easiest time in the UAE right now. Building a craft product here comes with real pressure. But this is home. We’ve been here for 9 years, and YALA was built here from the ground up. So seeing something made in Abu Dhabi stand on a global stage — and win — means a lot more than just medals.

And tomorrow, we go back to the brewery and keep doing the same thing — just a little bit better. Low pH. High Standards!