Recess

With Dry January in full swing, hemp and adaptogen-infused beverage marketer Recess recently dropped a limited edition flavor, Zero Proof “Margarita,” marking the first time the brand has directly marketed one of their products as an alternative to alcohol.

Like the other Recess products, Zero Proof Margarita is packaged in a 12 ounce can that uses a matte-finish shrink sleeve label. Sweetened with organic agave syrup, the product has a modest 25 calories and 4 grams of sugar. They’ve also included a host of functional ingredients including 10mg of hemp extract along with ginseng, L-theanine and lemon balm. 

When it comes to flavor, Recess has done a very nice job crafting something that is enjoyable and a bit more of a slow sipper than their other products. Sharp notes of lemon, lime and orange are present as well as some sort of flavoring that has a faint resemblance to what you’d expect from tequila. There’s a very light sweetness to the product as well as a noticeable salt note at the finish – a nice nod to the classic preparation of a margarita served in a salt rimmed glass. 

While this isn’t a literal margarita, it’s a very nice riff and something that does the job between the flavor and the added functional ingredients – even if they aren’t felt as immediately as alcohol. Combined with the unique and enjoyable flavor, the perceived value for this product as an alcohol replacement should be adequate.

On the outside, the product’s label follows a format that’s similar to the rest of the Recess family.  The minimalist front panel features the brand logo in the center of the can while descriptive text – which refers to the product a mocktail – sits at the bottom. Along the top, you’ll find the name of the flavor as well as a cloud-shaped callout for “Dry January Edition.” This is definitely a helpful callout in terms of making the product intuitive for the consumer.

Ultimately, we think that Recess’s Zero Proof Margarita is a good line extension for the brand and fits with their tagline of “calm cool collected.” The execution is top notch and if Recess decided to make zero proof a part of their regular lineup, this product is more than worthy of being a year round offering.

As discussed in a recent interview with CEO Benjamin Witte, Recess is expanding its line of CBD enhanced sparkling beverages to include flavors that target a mainstream audience. Today we’re taking a look at the three latest SKUs: Black Cherry, Blood Orange and Coconut Lime. 

Following the same format as the rest of the Recess lineup, these SKUs are packaged in 12 ounce cans and feature 15-20 calories and 0 grams of added sugar per can (monk fruit is the sweetener they use). Functional ingredients include broad spectrum hemp extract (10 mg of CBD), L-theanine, lemon balm powder and panax ginseng. 

Each of the three varieties starts with an herbal fruit tea infusion and a touch of fruit juice, along with natural flavors. The end products are straightforward and true to the flavor name in terms of how they taste. 

They also have an added depth that you won’t find in a traditional flavored sparkling water. This is especially true in Blood Orange, which is made with orange zest, orange oil, and blood orange, orange, and pear juices. We’d say the same, although to a slightly lesser extent, for Coconut Lime and Black Cherry. Both of these products have loads of flavor. 

There is a touch of sweetness to these products, but it’s really light and complementary rather than something that’s fighting with the drink’s flavoring. There’s no aftertaste, which is also a plus.

Visually, these use the same label format as the brand’s other products. There’s a shrink sleeve label with a matte finish and the design aesthetic is decidedly minimalist. We love how the Recess logo feels subtle but also has some visual pop to it thanks to the generous amount of space above and below it. 

However, we do wonder if the flavor name should be a bit larger, especially now that the brand has expanded in terms of the number of SKUs. This would help, especially from afar, in allowing the consumer to quickly identify which flavor is which.

Still, this doesn’t take away from our overall feeling on the Recess brand. It’s a slick, modern, and cool looking brand that we think captures the essence of the liquid that’s inside the can. 

Overall, Recess has definitely achieved its goal of creating flavors that appeal to mainstream palates. These are the brand’s best flavors to date.

Recess is an upstart line of fruit flavored sparkling water beverages infused with hemp extract. The brand features refreshing flavors, slick packaging, and one of today’s trendiest ingredients: cannabidiol, or CBD.

As everyone in the industry is probably noticing, CBD drinks are rapidly growing in number. And from our perspective, some of these products have limited appeal beyond the inclusion of CBD.

Fortunately for Recess, this product is exactly the opposite -- this product can be enjoyed for its flavor alone. And it’s probably the most crushable and satisfying CBD-enhanced product that has landed on our desks to date.

This starts with the foundation of the drink, which, as noted earlier, is a fruit (using juices from concentrate) flavored sparkling water that has been enhanced with hemp, ginseng, L-theanine, and Schisandra. There are three flavors, including two that have a touch of sugar (Pom Citrus and Blackberry Chai, each with 25 calories) and one that does not (Peach Ginger, with 15 calories).

Diving further into the taste, all three flavors of Recess are crisp, balancing a touch of fruit flavor, a hint of sweetness, and a light ginseng note at the finish. While we enjoyed all three, we found ourselves most fond of Peach Ginger, which is the lightest of the trio. This flavor, with its 15 calories and 4g of sugar, feels like where Recess should focus. While the other flavors are definitely well executed, this flavor profile and calorie count really makes it feel like a strong player in the sparkling water set.

Packaging and branding are another place where Recess excels. The brand’s style is eye-catching and hip, which feels very minimalist and against the grain of current, and often conformist, package design trends in the natural food and beverage set. The name Recess, which implies a break in conusmers’ daily routine, is a clever and subtle approach that feels capable of standing out. Otherwise, the pastel color palette and use of a 12 oz can seem spot-on for a sparkling beverage.

One last note on the package: this product doesn’t say CBD anywhere on it. On the front and side of the can are callouts for hemp extract; it’s only on the ingredient list, which lists “full spectrum hemp extract - 10mg,” that you’ll find a slightly more specific mention.

While one might argue that calling out the CBD content a bit more prominently would be good from a transparency perspective, we feel that staying away from heavy promotion of CBD (as many other products are doing) is a good thing in terms of both the state of the market and sending a message that Recess is confident in what it is offering.

Overall, we think Recess has come out of the gate really strong. This is one of the best CBD drinks out there right now.