‘Hangover-free’ spirits brand to launch beer and wine

Spirits brand Sentia which claims to ‘mimic’ the effect of alcohol, without actually containing it, has announced plans to release a beer and wine.

The Hertfordshire-based GABA Labs that is behind the brand, led by former government drugs tsar Professor David Nutt, has said that it will be creating an alcohol-free beer and sparkling wine in 2024.

According to the producer, the brand is different to other low- and no-alcohol products because it attempts to replicate the taste of alcohol, and then because of this sensation, effectively ‘trick’ the brain into thinking that it is consuming alcohol. As a result, the brain ‘mimics’ intoxication.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, co-founder of Gaba Labs said after launching its spirits brand last year it was now “potentially” launching a range of beers and sparkling wine.

He said of the fizz: “It’s a very champagne-like beverage, which has gone down really well with the limited testing that we’ve done. There is also the potential for some ready to drink carbonated [products] but that’s quite a big opportunity.’

The mixture of botanicals used by the company is a secret, although the process which creates the alcohol ‘flavour’ is in the firm’s name: a gamma-aminobutyric acid (Gaba), a neurotransmitter in the brain that becomes activated. These receptors relax the brain.

According to the producer, the impact of the effect of its mixture stops after two or three drinks, which means it is difficult to get over-intoxicated from Sentia alone. The beverage also doesn’t impact the body in the same way as alcohol, meaning the chemicals that produce hangovers aren’t created.

Orren continued that zero-alcohol wine could be “very thin” and reminded him of “stale grapefruit juice” but its secret ingredient produced a similar mouthfeel and body to traditional wine.

He said: “Research has shown that Gaba is the first neuron receptor that alcohol activates. That’s what provides that initial sense of wellness and relaxation that people enjoy from alcohol.

It’s everything else that follows that tends to be not so useful. And we’re trying to avoid that by focusing on Gaba.

“Our mission is to bring to market a disruptive ingredient that can be used to make any type of drink. So that’s our number one goal.”