GABA Labs is a pioneering, science-driven company, known for its discovery and development of a patentable alternative to alcohol called Alcarelle.

The patent-pending blend of botanicals in SENTIA is designed to enhance GABA activity and when drank in the company of friends, it creates the same social feelings of well-being that alcohol does – conviviality, happiness at being together – but without the detrimental health issues. After one glass, I feel just like I would after a gin and tonic (my usual go-to). My cheeks are slightly flushed and I’m definitely more relaxed. After a second, I’m a bit giggly and chatty. How far can I take this, I wonder? I drink a third, then a fourth, but the sensation doesn’t progress much further. Unlike with alcohol, you can’t get beyond that initial tipsy feeling. GABA Labs is a pioneering and science-driven company that develops ingredients as patentable alternatives to alcohol. ‘Alcarelle’ is a synthetic GABAergic* ingredient that can be used to make adult drinks and works as an effective catalyst for conviviality and social interaction without some of the unpleasant aspects of ethanol. Sentia doesn’t try to look like anything other than itself. It’s not an alcohol-free version of something else so it doesn’t come in a lookalike bottle, it is an original.I’m not one of those people who is happy with just a soda or fruit juice; one or two are okay, but after a while, the sweetness is just too much. Fizzy water now and then is also acceptable, but after a while becomes pretty boring. Drinking has long been at the heart of what makes us human: Connection. There is a moment when you’re drinking – the first sip of the second glass, where the world comes into (or out of) focus just enough that we feel connected to all of it and everyone there with us...SENTIA was developed to capture that moment - and let you hold it. A next generation of feel-good drinks, designed for conscious drinkers, coming together.

Sentia is an alcohol-free Spirit, comprising GABA Labs ABI; a proprietary blend of Active Botanical Ingredients, composed of Indian Ayurvedic, Western and Traditional Chinese botanicals. Sentia is a non-alcoholic drink made of a licensed, ‘Botanical GABAergic Blend’ from Nutt’s team at GABA Labs. None of the ingredients in Sentia has been shown to be addictive. With alcohol-free drinks in general, there is the slight possibility of a triggering effect in some susceptible people.Sentia contains plant botanicals and doesn’t contain alcohol, so is better for you than drinks containing alcohol. However, the manufacturers say you shouldn’t drink Sentia if you’re on medication, pregnant or breastfeeding and you should not drink more than 200ml in a day. This research has branched into two directions. The long-term project is the invention of a synthesised, alcohol-alternative molecule. Then there’s Sentia: the herbal alternative, which took the past two years to create.

There’s still a place for recreating comforting classics with non-alcoholic spirits. Gordon’s deliciously juniper-infused 0.0% spirit went on the market just before Christmas, and – like Seedlip – it shows that a grown-up, treaty drink doesn’t have to involve booze. There’s a new category of alcohol-free drinks emerging; functional spirits that aim to capture the essence of the alcohol high, but without the bad stuff. Sentia Red is one of those, and I couldn’t wait to try it. SENTIA is a new generation of plant-based alcohol-free spirits containing a proprietary blend of 'Botanical GABAergic Ingredients'. Designed by the scientists and innovators at GABA Labs to offer what we want from alcohol, without the alcohol. But my professor said, what’s the point of that? Isn’t the alcohol still going to be killing your liver? And won’t people just drink more?A drink that hits all the right notes, creating the harmonies that enrich how we socialise. Feel good about yourself... about tonight and about tomorrow. Hopefully it’ll raise enough money to fund the more expensive, chemistry part,’ says David. ‘We’re in the process of raising funds to take the molecules through safety testing, so they can become foodstuffs ingredients in a few years’ time, but that costs millions of pounds. I have my favourite zero-alcohol wines, spirits and beers, all of which offer a grown-up taste and satisfy the need for a drink that suits me. Some people, however, want more — they’re looking for the buzz that alcohol brings but without the alcohol. As far as I know, that’s not been possible, until now. According to its inventor, Professor David Nutt, Sentia is “Neither alcohol nor alcohol-free, but a great tasting, effective alcohol alternative.”