From local supermarket labels to global giants, beverage brands across Asia and the Middle East are incorporating traditional, health-focused ingredients into new creations.
Brands are also blending traditional wisdom with digital tools to boost engagement and drive sales, such as through the inclusion of traditional and herbal ingredients.
Health-focused innovation
“Combining traditional herbal remedies with new formats and new brand images is key to product innovation,” said Nathanael Lim, Asia Pacific insight manager for beverages at Euromonitor International.
“This appeals to younger consumers who grew up with local traditional remedies and are now looking for modern ways to consume them.”
The shift reflects a broader consumer trend where trust in heritage-based health remedies meets the demand for modern convenience.
Lim notes that hawthorn is widely used in traditional Asian foods, while dates are a dietary staple across both Asian and Middle Eastern cultures.
Popular hawthorn-infused drinks include Chinese brands Yami (which comes in sparkling soda) and Guan Fang (with fruit pulp) – both of which are exploring different formats to appeal to the younger Gen Zs and millennials.
Date flavoured beverages, meanwhile, feature prominently in Yeo’s packet drinks across Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America – regions where Asian flavours are sought after.
In the Middle East, Milaf Cola markets itself as the world’s first soft drink made exclusively from dates, promoted as a healthier, more sustainable alternative to conventional soda, using local ingredients and no added sugar.
German firm Haus Rabenhorst, a heritage brand with more than 200 years of history, has also tapped into the region’s functional beverages trend – Middle Eastern consumers, who tend to consume too much sugar, are increasingly seeking healthier alternatives.
Haus Rabenhorst drinks are made from pure juices with no added sugar. It also produces fortified beverages that address consumers’ rising vitamin D deficiency concerns.
These wellness-focused trends are also prominent among newer brands.
Start-ups with health-focused creations
Beverage brands are innovating quickly across categories, offering more diverse and functional options, with a stronger emphasis on local identity and wellness.
Indonesia’s Sila Tea combines vibrant presentation with wellness cues to target younger consumers, while oat milk start-up Oatbedient is expanding its portfolio of clean-label, non-dairy beverages.
Another recent innovation is from South Korea’s Pulmuone Green Juice – Dangslim X2 – a dual-function beverage for blood sugar and gut health.
Each 130ml bottle contains 340mg of corosolic acid from Banaba leaf for managing post-meal blood sugar levels, while the beverage portion features the probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum PMO08 derived from kimchi, along with 5g of dietary fibre and just 4g of sugar, offering a high-fibre, low-sugar formulation.
These types of dual-function offerings are gaining popularity as consumers increasingly seek multi-benefit beverages that align with holistic health routines.
In the Middle East, Shake Your Plants focuses on hydration and functional benefits to address health concerns.
These brands exemplify how emerging players are using native ingredients and scientific backing to meet regional health goals and consumer preferences.
Apart from health and wellness trends, consumption habits are also driven by technological integration.
A blend of cultural tradition and modern tech
It is not only ingredients driving the sector forward, technology is increasingly becoming a core growth engine in Asia’s beverage sector, particularly among digitally native chains like Chagee and Luckin.
Chagee, a globally recognised Chinese milk tea chain, positions itself as a “modern tea house” offering freshly handcrafted beverages rooted in Chinese tea culture.
The brand draws heavily from cultural aesthetics while offering a digitally streamlined customer journey, appealing to both tradition-conscious and tech-savvy consumers.
Luckin Coffee, meanwhile, is rapidly expanding with a focus on affordability and tech. The company calls itself a “pioneer of a technology-driven new retail model” and is emerging as a strong competitor to legacy brands like Starbucks and The Coffee Bean.
Both brands require customers to order via mobile apps, which eliminates physical queues, reduces staffing needs, and supports data-driven menu optimisation.
“Loyalty apps help optimise the customer experience by enhancing convenience and enabling price promotions,” said Lim.
“AI-powered inventory systems also allow brands like Luckin and Chagee to analyse user data for targeted marketing and new product development.”
Both beverage chains have plans for Middle East expansion.
Despite rising health awareness, the Middle East remains an underexplored territory for beverage innovation, according to the February 2025 report on Flavour Trends in Middle East by Innova Market Insights.
Brands have a clear opportunity to differentiate with functional ingredients, fruity flavours, and culturally relevant formulations – especially as regional players begin to embrace the blend of tradition and technology that is already reshaping Asia’s beverage scene.
