takearecess

What takearecess does

Recess (legally Drink Recess Inc.) is a privately held, New York-headquartered functional beverage company that produces sparkling waters, craft mocktails, and drink powders formulated with broad-spectrum hemp, magnesium blends, adaptogens (L-theanine, lemon balm, ginseng), and electrolytes. The company's product portfolio is organized into three core functional lines — Recess (hemp + adaptogen sparkling water for calm and focus), Recess Mood (magnesium-enriched sparkling water and 3-in-1 powders to support unwinding), and Recess Zero Proof (alcohol-free craft mocktails with guayusa and adaptogens for social occasions) — plus a lifestyle apparel sub-brand called Realitywear. The core technical differentiator is a proprietary magnesium blend combining magnesium L-threonate, glycinate, and citrate with active vitamin B6, sourced through an exclusive distribution relationship with AIDP, Inc. for the licensed Magtein ingredient protected under patents held by Magceutics, Inc.

The company sells direct-to-consumer through a Shopify-powered e-commerce store with a Subscribe & Save subscription program (2-, 4-, or 8-week delivery frequencies), operates a Direct-to-Business wholesale portal with 3-case minimums and free shipping, and distributes through Instacart and GoPuff for on-demand delivery. The marketing strategy centers on a "Calm Cool Collected" lifestyle positioning, earned media coverage in Forbes, New York Times, Business Insider, and other major publications, organic social presence on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter, email newsletters, a Give $10/Get $10 referral program, and educational content on functional ingredients. Products are restricted to continental US shipping with exclusions for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico.

Recess was founded by Ben Witte with co-founders Justin Hauser and David Hess; the company is incorporated in Delaware. Revenue, funding history, and headcount are not publicly disclosed, and no parent company or subsidiaries are identified. The business is actively operating and continues to expand SKUs, flavors, and channels across both beverage and adjacent lifestyle categories.

Name

takearecess

Legal name

Drink Recess Inc.

Website

https://drinkrecess.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Recess is a New York-based functional beverage company producing hemp-, magnesium-, and adaptogen-infused sparkling waters, alcohol-free mocktails, and drink powders, sold direct-to-consumer via subscription and one-time purchase, wholesale to retailers, and through Instacart and GoPuff, targeting stress-conscious and sober-curious consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Beverages

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211), Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112)

SIC

Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Bottled Water (Still, Sparkling, Enhanced) (CRADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Drinks & Hydration Beverages (CRADAHAK), Functional Foods & Supplement Formats (Gummies, Chews, Powders, Shots) (CRADAGAI), Powdered Beverage Bases & Concentrates (instant drink mixes, soluble concentrates) (AFAFAGAI)

Keywords

• Functional beverages
• Sparkling water
• Hemp extract drinks
• Adaptogen beverages
• Alcohol-free mocktails

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Subscription: Recess offers subscription plans with flexible delivery options (every 2, 4, or 8 weeks) for all product lines including Recess sparkling water, Recess Mood, Recess Zero Proof, and Mood Powders. Subscribers receive free shipping and access to exclusive subscriber-only deals and larger case sizes.
2. Wholesale/B2B: Recess sells products directly to retailers through their Direct-to-Business (D2B) wholesale portal. Orders must be placed in increments of three cases with free shipping on wholesale orders.
3. One-time Product Sales: One-time purchases of individual products and samplers available through the e-commerce store. Products include gift cards, single items, and various sampler packs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Recess produces and sells functional sparkling waters, mocktails, and drink powders formulated with broad-spectrum hemp extract, magnesium (Magtein), adaptogens, and electrolytes. The products are positioned to support calm, focus, and stress relief for stress-conscious and sober-curious consumers.

Product overview

Recess is a functional beverage company offering four distinct product lines united by functional ingredients for calm and wellness. The core portfolio includes Recess (hemp-infused sparkling water with adaptogens for clarity), Recess Mood (magnesium-enriched sparkling water and powder sticks for unwinding), Recess Zero Proof (alcohol-free craft mocktails with guayusa and adaptogens), and Realitywear (apparel accessories). The company also offers various samplers, gift cards, and subscription options. All products are positioned around the tagline 'calm cool collected' and are marketed as alternatives to stress, alcohol, or caffeine. The legal entity is Drink Recess Inc., headquartered in New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Recess: Sparkling water infused with hemp and adaptogens for calm and clarity
• Recess Mood
• Recess Zero Proof
• Recess Mood Powders
• Realitywear

Products and services

• Recess Sparkling Water (Hemp) Sparkling water infused with broad-spectrum hemp extract and adaptogens, sold in multi-pack and variety-pack configurations to consumers seeking functional beverages for calm, focus, and stress relief.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products contain 10mg broad-spectrum hemp extract per serving for endocannabinoid system support
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationRecess uses Shopify to power their e-commerce online store and transaction purchase process. All payment information and personal data collected during transactions are managed through Shopify's platform and subject to their privacy policy and terms.
• AIDP, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationAIDP, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Magtein® (magnesium L-threonate), a key ingredient in Recess's proprietary magnesium blend used across Mood and Mood Powder products.
• Magceutics®, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationMagtein® is protected under a family of US patents, pending patents, and is protected worldwide. Magtein® is a trademark of Magceutics®, Inc.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Health-Ade Kombucha: Health-Ade is a scaled functional fermented beverage brand (kombucha) sold across mainstream grocery and DTC. It competes with Recess for the health-conscious functional beverage shopper and represents the kind of larger incumbent Recess may face as it pushes into national retail.
• Athletic Brewing Company: Athletic Brewing is the largest non-alcoholic craft beer brand in the US, leading the broader sober-curious movement. While not a direct functional/adaptogen competitor, it competes for the same consumer occasions and shelf space as Recess Zero Proof and has materially shaped retail acceptance of NA premium beverages.
• Liquid Death: Liquid Death is a leading canned water and functional beverage brand with a strong lifestyle/DTC identity and broad retail distribution. It competes with Recess for premium canned water shelf space and uses a similar edgy, brand-led, multi-channel GTM.

Direct peers

• Aplós: Aplós produces non-alcoholic functional spirits infused with hemp and adaptogens. Its product philosophy (functional, hemp-forward, sober-curious) and canned format put it in direct competition with Recess Zero Proof and the original Recess sparkling line.
• De Soi: De Soi is a premium non-alcoholic aperitif brand using adaptogens (e.g., reishi, lion's mane) in sparkling, wine-inspired formats. It targets the same sober-curious, wellness-oriented consumer as Recess Zero Proof and competes head-to-head in upscale retail and DTC channels.
• Ghia: Ghia is a non-alcoholic, botanical-driven aperitif positioned as a sophisticated alcohol alternative. It is highly comparable to Recess Zero Proof in its use of functional herbal ingredients, premium brand aesthetic, and direct-to-consumer + specialty retail distribution.
• Cann: Cann is a leading cannabis-infused social tonic brand, using low-dose THC/CBD in canned sparkling beverages. It overlaps directly with Recess's original hemp sparkling water line in terms of beverage format, target use case (social calm), and DTC-led distribution.
• MXXN: MXXN is a hemp/CBD-infused sparkling beverage brand marketed as an alcohol alternative. It targets the same functional-beverage, sober-curious consumer as Recess and competes in similar premium retail and DTC channels.
• Kin Euphorics: Kin Euphorics makes adaptogen-infused sparkling "social tonics" and mocktails targeting sober-curious consumers. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Recess's Zero Proof and Mood lines, with the same premium DTC + retail GTM and overlapping positioning around relaxation without alcohol.
• Hiyo: Hiyo makes functional sparkling beverages with adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals targeting stress and social occasions. It competes directly with Recess's hemp and Mood sparkling lines for sober-curious millennials and shares the same canned, low-sugar, multi-flavor DTC strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/takearecess
• Facebookfacebook.com/takearecess
• Instagraminstagram.com/takearecess

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about takearecess