GABA Drinks: The Science Behind a Booze-Free Buzz

Like so many women who appreciate a fine glass of wine or a nicely mixed cocktail, I’ve spent years trying to make myself enjoy the alcohol-free versions of these drinks. Yes, they’re lower in alcohol (rarely better for you as per comment below), and yes, the flavour of them is getting more sophisticated and appealing all the time.

But, unpopular as it may be to admit it, an evening on the zero percent anything can sometimes be a little... boring. Besides, too often these drinks are still pale imitations of the real deal and packed with sugar and additives to make up for the missing booze. So no wonder I’m keen when I hear about a new alcohol alternative (not a synthetic alcohol), that works with our ‘GABA’ and promises to radically change all that.

What on earth is GABA? Short for Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, it’s a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that helps to regulate our nervous system, keeping us calm, relaxed and focussed. If our brains don’t have enough of it, we feel anxious and depressed.

And here’s the kicker – drinking alcohol actually inhibits GABA, which is why we often feel horribly anxious the morning after having one too many. Yes, alcohol creates a joyful initial buzz, but we enjoy that feeling so much we end up chasing it with more booze. That’s where things go wrong and our brain’s supply of this essential, peace-giving neurotransmitter becomes depleted.

‘GABA drinks’, on the other hand, work by harnessing proprietary blends of botanical or synthetic ingredients known to stimulate the body’s natural GABA pathways to give you that two-drink, chilled-out feeling – without the hangover to follow.

There’s serious science behind this. Professor David Nutt, a psychopharmacologist from Imperial College London, proved that alcohol works by stimulating the brain’s GABA system back in 1980. Fast forward to the early 2000s and he and his team introduced the idea of creating a safer, synthetic alcohol alternative that works with the body’s GABA system. In 2021, they launched Sentia, the first GABA drinks brand, which has slowly gained a following.

‘The reason alcohol is so popular is because it helps people socialise and manage stress, so why not give them a drink which gives them relaxation and sociability but with massively reduced harms?’ Professor Nutt tells me. ‘That’s what Sentia does. It targets the GABA system in the brain, which is also one of the key targets of alcohol.’

Now, Sentia isn’t the only brand tapping into the GABA trend. A wave of new drinks are doing the same, using the power of plants and other compounds to boost GABA and make us feel good in other ways– all without the hangover.

So, how do they do it? All these drinks contain their own combination of herbs, extracts and other substances that have been scientifically proven to either stimulate GABA pathways in the brain, help the body manage stress (‘adaptogens’) or improve cognitive functions like focus and memory (‘nootropics’). Some of these substances, such as L-theanine, magnolia bark and ashwagandha, even do all three.

Sometimes called ‘functional drinks’, they’re typically low-calorie, low-sugar, vegan and gluten-free, too. But can they really give you a harmless buzz – and what do they taste like? I tasted the best to see if GABA could be the future of happy hour...

Sentia (Gold, Red & Black), 500ML, £32 sentiaspirits.com

The brainchild of Professor Nutt, Sentia now offers three products, where each uses a unique blend of extracts to give a slightly different effect. Gold offers a very gentle lift and tastes citrusy, spicy and slightly tropical. Red gives you more of a low key, chilled vibe with a herbaceous, bittersweet red berry note and Black is great for focus and party energy with a brooding smokiness and black pepper bite. They’re designed to be mixed with a splash of tonic or fizzy water but I prefer my favourite, Red, sipped chilled over ice. 

Three Spirit Social Elixir, 500ML, £25.99 threespiritdrinks.com

Three Spirit was one of the first functional drinks brands and Social Elixir is their signature, mood enhancing product  and they now have four ‘elixirs’ and two wine alternatives to try. Like Sentia, Social Elixir is not trying to mimic any specific kind of booze. Instead, it gives a definite, and rather pleasant, floaty, buzzy feeling and tastes seriously herbaceous with a bitter, bark-like kick. It’s an acquired taste that Campari lovers will likely enjoy. It definitely woke me up but I found it too bitter. Drink it chilled over ice or lengthen with ginger ale or a mediterranean-style tonic. 

Smiling Wolf 'Dry London', 700ML, £32 smilingwolf.com

Functional drinks brand Smiling Wolf describe their Dry London as ‘a wolf in gin's clothing' and that's a great description. This is for abstaining Gin lovers who love a classic, juniper heavy spirit. It has a wonderful concentration of botanical flavour and all the mouthfeel you could want from a ‘real’, booze-forward spirit. It definitely feels like there’s something chill-buzzy happening too. My recently sober friend described it as a ‘lifesaver’ last Christmas when she was hosting lots of family.  

Impossibrew, 440ML, from £2.49 impossibrew.co.uk

Impossibrew has quickly become a bestselling brand thanks to its fresh tasting, GABA-enhancing, alcohol-free lagers and ales that taste like the real thing. They work with L'theanine and ashwagandha alongside other plant extracts and the fact they’re low calorie, vegan and gluten free is the cherry on the cake for this booze-free beer brand with benefits. I love these because they taste like real, light beers. The effects were less obvious than others but I felt virtuous and it stopped me reaching for a ‘real’ one. Their limited edition rhubarb flavour became a staple in my house. 

ON Beer, 330ML, £3 on-beer.com

ON Beer worked with James Jacoby, previously part of the Sentia team, to create this smart tasting, flavourful beer, packed with natural extracts like maca, ginseng, damiana and guarana to lower stress, ease anxiety and give a gentle lift. You’ll like this if you’re a fan of tangy lager and yeasty kombucha. This is the one for when you want an ice cold bevvie straight from the fridge on a hot afternoon. After a bottle, I feel a real sense of ease rather than an energetic buzz. It’s hard to explain – but I like it. 

GABA Oolong Organic Tea, 100g, £12.50 teamtea.co.uk

For something a bit different, have a cup of tea. Oolong tea has some actual, naturally occurring, GABA in it, albeit at low levels. When it’s processed differently however, such as this one, which has been fermented and dried in a nitrogen-rich environment, the GABA levels can reach 25 times higher! There is some caffeine though, so watch out for that if you’re drinking it in the evening. It’s earthy, spicy and dry like cacao - just like normal, loose leaf Oolong. Best brewed for two minutes and tasted with or without milk. This sensation is more about what it stops you feeling, ie anxiety, rather than what it makes you feel. I am a big fan of that.