There's a new non-alcoholic drink on the market that could be a game changer.
When January rolls around each year, many of us decide to lay off the alcohol for a month.
Some people may shudder at the thought of doing that, while for others dry January will be a breeze.
While having the occasional drink isn't anything to worry about, excessive drinking does come with a wave of health risks.
But what if there was a drink out there that came with the tipsy feeling of alcohol, without actually containing any?
That’s precisely what neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt has been working toward.
A professor at Imperial College London and co-founder of GABA Labs, Nutt has spent years developing a synthetic solution that replicates alcohol’s euphoric effects without its downsides.
“It’s a drink that is based on the science of alcohol, particularly the low doses of alcohol that relax you and make you more sociable,” Nutt told The Independent.
In 2021, Nutt’s vision became reality with the launch of Sentia Spirits, a plant-based, botanical-powered beverage that delivers a gentle buzz with 0% alcohol by volume. Dubbed a “GABA spirit”, the drink leverages gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that induces relaxation and calm.
“When you’re drinking an alcoholic beverage, those alcohol molecules bind to GABA receptors and cause the sedative, relaxing effects of GABA to be enhanced,” Nutt explained.
“We’ve spent years researching the biochemistry of herbs to find ones which contain GABA molecules, and also those which have a track record of producing relaxation and calming effects.”
By combining GABA-promoting herbs and botanicals, Sentia offers what Nutt calls “an effective alternative to drinking low levels of alcohol.”
The brand currently offers two spirits: Sentia Red, ideal for unwinding on quiet evenings or for intimate settings like first dates, and Sentia Black, crafted for more energetic social gatherings.
Sentia’s effects vary from person to person. “It depends on people’s varying sensitivity,” Nutt noted.
“There is evidence that your GABA system becomes a bit less sensitive when you drink a lot of alcohol, and if you’re a heavy drinker, to be honest, you may not get much of an effect at all.”
For occasional drinkers or those seeking to cut back, Sentia may offer a solution for relaxed evenings without the downsides of alcohol.
While Sentia is a step forward, it’s not the endgame. Nutt and his team are developing a synthetic molecule called alcarelle, which aims to precisely mimic the effects of alcohol.
Once approved, alcarelle could be licensed to drinks companies for use in alcohol-free beers, wines, and spirits.
“That’s a big challenge,” Nutt admitted. “We’ve made molecules that perform that function but we haven’t yet optimized the one we want to take through to food and safety testing.”
GABA Labs anticipates completing FDA testing for alcarelle in the US by 2026, with products potentially hitting the market by 2027.
Non-alcoholic GABA spirits like Sentia are also entering a crowded space alongside CBD-infused beverages.
While both use neurotransmitters to promote relaxation, Sentia claims its GABA-based formulation delivers a more noticeable effect than the low CBD levels typically found in drinks.
A night out without a hangover the next day? Count me in.
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