Recess is a company within the Food & Beverage category. Recess is a functional beverage company that creates sparkling waters infused with adaptogens, magnesium, and other relaxation-focused ingredients. Known for its distinct pastel-colored branding and 'calm' aesthetic, it aims to provide an alternative to caffeine-heavy and high-sugar drinks.
Recess was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in New York, NY.
Recess is part of Independent.
Recess is rated Contender on the Optimly Brand Authority Index, a measure of how well AI models can accurately describe the brand. The exact score is locked for unclaimed profiles.
AI narrative accuracy for Recess is Strong. Significant factual deltas detected.
AI models classify Recess as a Challenger. AI names competitors first.
Recess appeared in 4 of 6 sampled buyer-intent queries (67%). Recess is highly likely to appear for lifestyle-oriented queries but faces stiff competition from legacy brands (LaCroix, Spindrift) when the search is purely for 'sparkling water' without a functional modifier.
AI identifies Recess as a leader in the 'calm' beverage category. While it accurately captures the brand's aesthetic and core value proposition, it may struggle with the specific regulatory nuances of its CBD vs. non-CBD product lines depending on the recency of the training data. Key gap: The shift from being a 'CBD-first' brand to a broader functional beverage brand (using magnesium/L-theanine) is often lagged in AI summarizations.
Of 5 key facts verified about Recess, 4 are well-documented (likely accurate across AI models), 1 have limited sourcing, and 0 are retrieval-dependent and may be inaccurate without live search.
Confusion between the original 'CBD' line (Recess CBD) and the newer, more widely distributed 'Mood' line (Magnesium-based).
Buyers turn to Recess for Manual Supplementation: Buying individual cans of sparkling water and adding manual supplements or CBD drops., Status Quo Energy Drinks: Drinking standard caffeinated coffee or energy drinks despite anxiety side effects., among 2 documented problem areas.
Buyers evaluating Recess typically ask AI models about "Best beverages for anxiety relief", "Magnesium infused sparkling water brands", "Adaptogen drinks for stress", and 3 similar queries.
Recess's core products are Sparkling water with magnesium, adaptogens, and (optionally) CBD..
Recess uses Subscription or One-time purchase.
Recess serves Gen Z and Millennial consumers, health-conscious professionals, 'sober-curious' individuals..
Recess A unique combination of functional 'mood' ingredients paired with a high-design lifestyle brand aesthetic that emphasizes mental state over physical performance.
Brand Authority Index (BAI) tier: Contender (exact score locked for unclaimed brands)
Archetype: Challenger
https://optimly.ai/brand/recess
Last analyzed: April 10, 2026
Founded: 2018
Headquarters: New York, NY