What if you could get tipsy drinking a pint without consuming a drop of alcohol?

Even if some reports are sensationalist drivel put out by the anti-drinking lobby, people in Britain are boozing less. Gen Z in particular is choosing to go booze-free, or opting for low-alcohol options to maintain a level of sobriety once only consigned to children. No hangovers make for an easier life.

- Josh Barrie

But does the future look desert-dry? Not exactly. People still want to drink, socialise, spend time at the pub and feel part of a community. No and low brands are tapping into a new market, filling a hole in an existing industry: Ocado said sales of alcohol-free products have increased by 25 per cent in the past six months. But what about that buzz? Humans have lowered their inhibitions with alcohol for millennia.

Professor David Nutt, neuro-psychopharmacologist at Imperial College London and the co-founder of Gaba Labs, thinks he’s cracked it. He's been working on developing alcohol-free drinks that still foster some of the positive aspects of booze. That is to say, feeling relaxed, less anxious and more sociable.

“Alcohol brings people together,” says Nutt. “It works so well. People drink to become relaxed and to have fun. But we don't like the hangover and the damaging effects it can have.”