Taste Radio

Upon its much hyped debut in 2019, Recess was dubbed by the press as “the Lacroix of CBD.” Founder and CEO Ben Witte has always preferred a different tagline: “the Red Bull of relaxation.” CBD was the fuel for Recess’ hot start, but when the beverage industry cooled on the cannabinoid — the result of a challenging regulatory environment — the company turned to another trendy ingredient: magnesium. In 2021, Recess introduced Recess Mood, a new line of sparkling waters infused with magnesium and adaptogens and marketed as modern relaxation beverages. Leading with the tagline of “calm, cool, collected,” the products have become the primary driver of sales of the brand and represent the vision that founder and CEO Ben Witte says he always had for Recess: a platform of beverages intended to help people relax. The company later added Mood powders to the mix, and in 2022 launched a line of zero-proof mocktails that Ben describes as a natural extension of the brand. Recess has emerged from the pivot as a prime-time p