Malaysian craft soda brand Bloop Soda is reimagining carbonated soft drinks around flavours and ingredients that reflect its home market. The brand was created in response to what it sees as a soda market dominated by artificial and often Western-led flavours, instead using real fruits, spices and botanicals inspired by Malaysian and Asian tastes.
The range includes Cola, Lemon Lime and Bunga Kantan, each putting a local spin on familiar refreshment cues. Lemon Lime combines lemon and lime with limau kasturi (calamansi) and spice (cinnamon), drawing inspiration from the Malaysian mamak staple limau ais. Bunga Kantan takes localisation further by combining bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), an ingredient widely used in Malaysian cooking, with roselle and lime for a floral and tangy soda.
Local flavours are paired with a contemporary better-for-you proposition. Bloop Soda lightly sweetens its drinks with a combination of stevia, sugar and fruit juices, while avoiding artificial flavours, colours and preservatives and adding plant-based prebiotic fibre (inulin). Lemon Lime and Bunga Kantan each contain 9.8g of sugar, 49kcal and 3g of fibre per 325ml can, while Cola strengthens the local ingredient story with gula Melaka (palm sugar).
Prebiotic soda is entering a new phase, with localised flavours, ingredients and aesthetics helping brands differentiate and feel more culturally relevant to consumers.
