About Us
How It All Started
YALA Kombucha began in 2018 with a spark of inspiration on a flight home for Christmas, when I stumbled upon Noma’s Guide to Fermentation. A SCOBY gifted at a Lithuanian Christmas market soon made its way back with me to the UAE — and from there, the journey began.
After countless experiments (and a few flops), we finally brewed a kombucha that tasted like something special. What started in our kitchen quickly became a passion. My husband, once skeptical, soon took over brewing, turning our process into a fine craft.
In 2019, we introduced YALA to the world at the Ripe Markets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai — and sold out on our very first day. Since then, we’ve grown from home brewers to proud founders of the UAE’s first kombucha taproom, serving fresh, natural kombucha to a growing community!
From Passion to Pour
In 2020, encouraged by a friend, we entered the Aldar-NYU Mannasah competition for F&B startups — and won. The prize helped us bring our vision to life with our first space in Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi.
Between 2020 and 2022, we poured our hearts into perfecting our craft — running over 800 kombucha trials, testing every ingredient, and listening closely to our community. The pandemic gave us time to refine our flavors, processes, and mission.
By December 2022, YALA Kombucha Bar officially opened its doors. Soon after, we were invited to top events and partnered with some of the UAE’s most prestigious venues. In 2023, we proudly won our first Global Kombucha Award for our Ginger & Lemon flavor.
In 2024, we expanded production with a new central facility and introduced limited edition brews — including Royal Velvet Ya Bao, which went on to win a Global Kombucha Award medal. With growing demand, we’re planning new locations in Dubai and beyond, while continuing to brew naturally and serve fresh on tap.
In 2025, YALA received five global awards at the World Alcohol-Free Awards, including a gold medal for our Jasmine Pearls luxury bottle. This milestone marked YALA's recognition not only locally or within the kombucha segment, but across the global alcohol-free beverage market.
