'Synthetic' beer is such a big business that it has launched a new race: non-alcoholic beer that can get you drunk.

Friday. Eight in the afternoon. You are on a terrace in the center with your friends and you want to have a couple of beers (perhaps a couple of drinks) to take advantage of the sun of a receding summer, but the mere idea of ​​the hangover the next morning and that alcohol will ruin a good part of your weekend makes you back out, so you end up ordering a 'without' beer. Another one. But... What if there was an IPA or a 'without' liquor capable of giving you a touch of euphoria and disinhibition, all without a single drop of alcohol, hangovers or the risk of ending up developing an addiction?

That is the curious promise that a British laboratory has launched.

What has happened? That at a delicate moment for the alcohol industry, marked by the drop in demand in key markets, a clear generational change in the consumption of drinks and a growing interest in 'without' beers or wines, there are those who already want to go several steps further and reach the 'holy grail' of the drink.

Which? Neither more nor less than squaring the circle: liquors and beers that are alcohol-free but capable of intoxicating. Or at least to give those who consume them that point of disinhibition and euphoria that is sought in the bottles.

Who is behind? The key name in that career is David Nutt, a neuroscientist with extensive research experience who has spent decades exploring how drugs affect the brain, addiction and anxiety. Nutt recognizes that drinking offers certain advantages on a social level, but he hopes that people can enjoy their drinks in a safer and healthier way, avoiding risks such as addiction, cirrhosis or aggressive behavior.

Convinced that it can be achieved, years ago he co-founded GABA Labs, a firm that starts from an ambitious promise: "Give social drinkers what they want from alcohol without the alcohol." The team is working to bring to market a patented molecule called Alcarelle, an odorless, tasteless and colorless compound that acts as "an ingredient designed to promote socialization and relaxation."

Its purpose, Bloomberg clarifies, is to amplify the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that transmits chemical messages to nerve cells to tell the brain to relax. The company has also set itself another ambitious goal: that its creation surpasses traditional alcohol without being addictive. Not only that. In the interviews that Nutt gives, he usually talks about effects similar to those of spirits without the hangover the next day.

And how are they doing? On its website, GABA Labs specifies that its goal is for Alcarelle and derived products to be available in the US starting in 2028, although in an interview given a few months ago to Bloomberg Nutt confessed that he hopes the compound will be available commercially before the end of 2027. Last January, Independent reported on the same calendar: the idea is that Alcarelle completes its FDA tests this year and can be exploited in 2027.

Since it was founded almost a decade ago, GABA Lab has been searching for molecules capable of acting on the GABA receptors in the brain to achieve the desired results (and avoid unwanted ones), which has led them to develop dozens of different options. "It's about testing and refining," the scientist acknowledges. Right now the laboratory has three 'finalist' molecules and hopes to soon opt for the most promising to advance its research and development. His work is already generating enormous expectations.

Have they released anything yet? Yes. To check the results of GABA you won't have to wait that long. In 2021, the company launched a drink in small quantities in the United Kingdom and some time later in the United States. Her name: Sentia. The concoction does not yet include the molecule GABA is pursuing, but it is made with natural ingredients that aim to offer a preview of Nutt's plans. Its creators present it as an alternative for customers "tired of choosing between alcohol or non-alcoholic who are looking for a functional drink that improves their social connection."

A different 'without' beer? That's the latest promise from the Nutt team. In 2025, the EFE agency reported on the launch of a 'without' beer capable of generating in those who drink it a disinhibition similar to that of the traditional drink. Its commercial name: Gabyr. "It provides the same effects that people look for in a drink, relaxation, sociability, but with a much lower impact than alcohol," claims the co-founder of the laboratory from Hemel Hempsetad, on the outskirts of London, which is where the drink is manufactured, according to the agency.

The team is also already working on a whiskey and a wine.

Why is it important? For several reasons. First, because of what it promises. Although at the moment it is basically about that (promises and declarations of intent), in his interviews Nutt insists that his goal is ambitious: he pursues a range of 'without' drinks that offer what many social drinkers look for in drinks: disinhibition and a touch of euphoria. Everything, he insists, with a non-addictive, non-hangover alternative. It is drunk and in theory the effects arrive after 20 minutes.

That of course leaves some interesting questions raised in different areas. How to deal with it at a regulatory level? How would it influence driving? And how could authorities monitor its use? with breathalyzers? Does it have side effects? In an interview with Bloomberg, Kenneth Sher, a professor at the University of Missouri, acknowledges that it is difficult for him to imagine a substitute for alcohol "based exclusively on GABA." Another academic, Jim Cook, is also wary of possible side effects, such as drowsiness or memory loss.

Is there more? Yes. Behind Nutt's proposal there is more than just scientific interest. The lucrative alcohol industry has experienced important changes over the last few decades, and although the trend is not the same (or equally intense) in all markets, there are certain patterns that are affecting big brands: generation Z seems less interested in alcohol than their predecessors, trends such as "Dry January" are gaining strength and there is much more talk about 'without' beers or wines, which already represent a growing market with great promises.

The Statista portal estimates that in 2028, global sales of non-alcoholic beer would easily exceed $50 billion, which would crown a practically uninterrupted rise in demand that can date back at least to before the pandemic. The Bloomberg agency says that in the US alone the 'without' drinks market moves close to 900 million dollars each year.

If Nutt finally manages to hit the right note and achieves his ambitious goal, he could become a new prominent player in this booming business.

A version of this article was published in September 2025

Images | Mark Broadhead (Unsplash) and Statista