The start of the new year can stir up lots of feelings for many of us, as we reflect on 2022 and set intentions around being a better version of ourselves for the year ahead. Which is why, along with millions of British adults, you might be considering Dry January.

In survey we commissioned at the end of last year, 4 in 10 UK adults admitted to trying to give up or cut out alcohol, with 6 in 10 citing health as the primary consideration. With the health benefits to cutting out alcohol including a reduced risk of cancer, a healthier liver, better sleep, and weight-loss; it’s unsurprising that year on year more of us are using the comradery of Dry January as the perfect time to give going dry a try.

As the decision to ‘go sober’ becomes more mainstream and with the no and low drinks space evolving to include more innovative and ‘functional’ options – i.e., drinks including nootropics or mind and body supporting ingredients and adaptogens – is 2023 the year to be asking ourselves whether ‘sobriety’ is less about giving up alcohol, and more about drink choices which enhance our overall wellbeing, thanks to the properties and ingredients found in ‘smart spirits’?

Can abstinence make the heart grow fonder?

As a team of scientists, we LOVE pioneering this cultural shift, driving more mindful behaviour not only in helping drinkers make healthier choices, but choices which actively enhances our emotional experience. Having understood the deep-rooted human need for connection so often associated with moments centered around socializing and drinking alcohol, this underpins everything we have created at GABA Labs and is why we think SENTIA spirits are so special. 

GABA is a naturally occurring stress response active in all plants and animals, which your body produces naturally all the time, modulating your levels of relaxation and harmony. Consuming moderate volumes of alcohol, around one or two units, raises our body’s GABA activity, which is understood to be the reason alcohol is so widely enjoyed.

At the heart of SENTIA lies science and innovation from a team led by renowned British neuropsychopharmacologist Professor David Nutt. The discovery that GABA in the brain triggers feelings associated with connection, so is responsible for the ‘good drinking experience’ led to the identification and combination of natural botanicals which blended enhance GABA when you drink, enhance what socialising feels like.

Having already stirred up the ‘No and Low’ space with SENTIA Red, next week we will launch our second spirit, SENTIA Black.  Both SENTIA Red and Black stimulate GABA, but their unique blend of ingredients means that while SENTIA Red helps you harmonize, Black is brilliant for focus and conviviality.

At SENTIA, we're more about My January, asking ourselves what better choices we can make every day to enhance our lives, connections, and experiences so we hope whatever intentions you set yourself this year, they feel right for you. Cheers!