Recess Drink Review: We Tried Sparkling CBD Water to Reduce Stress
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
Recess drink is a CBD-infused sparkling water with natural fruit flavors. It claims to not only taste good, but make you feel calm and relaxed. Does it live up to the hype?
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Raise your hand if you reach for a glass of wine or a shot of espresso to help with stress, anxiety or fatigue. Same. And while there’s nothing wrong with a little alcohol or caffeine pick-me-up in moderation, we were intrigued to learn about Recess drink sparkling water. It’s a stress-relieving and focus-enhancing CBD drink with healthier ingredients—and cuter cans.
Carrie Madormo, RN, named Recess as one of the best CBD gummies and edibles in a recent Taste of Home article. After reading her positive review and researching the ingredients further, I just had to test the sampler pack to give my honest Recess drink review. Here’s what happened to my stress levels—and mood.
What is Recess drink sparkling water?
Recess drink is a line of fruit-flavored CBD sparkling waters infused with natural ingredients. Recess promotes its beverages as “an antidote to modern times” and claims they help drinkers achieve focus, relaxation, creativity and balance. Each of the six sparkling water flavors are infused with hemp extract and adaptogens thought to keep you mellow and relaxed.
The sparkling waters also contain other natural feel-good ingredients: American ginseng is known to improve memory and focus. Mood-brightening L-theanine is a sleep-improving amino acid found in tea plants. Lemon balm gives a gentle boost of energy.
Recess sparkling waters are also flavored with fruit and herbs to make them taste yummy. Each 12-ounce can has between 15 and 30 calories, four to six grams of carbohydrates and three to six grams of sugar—depending on which of the six flavors you choose.
Please note that while CBD use appears to be generally safe, like many supplements, these claims aren’t backed by the FDA.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Recess CBD Sparkling Water
This CBD-infused sparkling water promotes focus, relaxation, creativity and balance with natural feel-good ingredients including fruit, herbs, American ginseng and L-theanine.
Recess Drink Zero Proof Mocktails
The brand also offers non-alcoholic canned cocktails. They don’t contain CBD. Rather, Recess’ zero proof craft mocktail collection mimics the flavor profile of popular cocktails like a margarita, Paloma, mojito and Moscow mule while leaning on mood-boosting adaptogens and natural feel-good ingredients to go from “buzzed to balanced.” The real kicker? They only have 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories each. Plus, a little caffeine (10mg to be exact) to keep you feeling social.
“I’m always looking for ways to cut back on booze by replacing my favorite cocktails with drinks that actually support my well-being, and out of all the non-alcoholic cocktails, spirits, wine and beer I’ve tried, the Recess zero proof drinks are in my top three,” says Product Reviews Home Editor, Madi Koetting. “The flavors come pretty close to the real thing, but the difference with Recess is I actually feel a relaxing buzz. I was impressed that after just one and a half cans of their mocktails, I felt the same relaxing sensation as if I had a glass of wine. But the difference is I can feel good about what’s going into my body thanks to Recess.”
Recess Drink Sparkling Water Features
The Recess sampler features six flavors: coconut lime, blood orange, black cherry, peach ginger, pomegranate hibiscus and blackberry chai. Order the drinks in either a one-time-purchase six-pack or a subscription 12-pack. The latter option lets you set recurring deliveries every two, four or eight weeks. You also save $10 per pack with a subscription.
Recess Drink Product Specs:
- Six flavors
- Powered by CBD
- Feel-good ingredients like American ginseng, L‑theanine and lemon balm
- No “crash” like with alcohol or caffeine
- Available as a one-time purchase or subscription
- Low in calories, sugar and carbs
How We Tested It: Recess Drink Review
My Recess drink review was as easy as cracking open a chilled can, popping a metal straw inside and sipping. Since I’ve tried CBD gummies before, I wasn’t nervous about drinking CBD, but I did want to do a thorough test to feel the effects.
I’m a regular at Pilates, and I don’t like to go to class if I’ve recently had a cocktail or glass of red wine. Alcohol and balancing exercises simply don’t mix—not to mention the sleepy side effects I sometimes get after happy hour. I had a Pilates class scheduled after work and I was feeling the late afternoon slump. Instead of pouring a late afternoon coffee that could disrupt my sleep, I decided to drink a can of the peach ginger Recess.
Thoughts after the first sip? Yum! The peach flavor tasted straight from Georgia and the ginger added a slightly spicy note that I liked. I didn’t detect anything medicinal or chemical. As for bubble strength, I’d positively compare it to a can of La Croix. About 20 minutes after I drained the can, I felt calm and focused. It wasn’t intense or distracting, and I got through my Pilates class feeling both relaxed and concentrated on the instructor’s vocal cues. I didn’t have any trouble falling asleep that night.
After the successful Pilates test, I opened the pomegranate hibiscus can before a long afternoon Zoom conference call. I’m not the biggest hibiscus flavor fan, but I did like the fruity pomegranate. Results were similar to how I felt after the first can: generally calm, relaxed and able to focus on the agenda and deliverables. What work anxiety?
Pros
- High-quality taste
- Real fruit flavors are refreshing and not overly sweet
- Hemp and ginseng promote a calm, serene feeling and focused concentration
- Low in sugar, calories and carbs
- The matte tropical and pastel color cans are gorgeous
Cons
- At $5 a can, it’s more expensive than regular sparkling water—but still cheaper than many CBD-infused products
FAQ
Do Recess drinks have CBD in them?
Yes, each can contains a small dose (10mg) of broad-spectrum hemp. Rest assured, though, that Recess does not include THC, the compound found in marijuana that results in a high.
What are the benefits of Recess drinks?
After drinking a can of Recess, you may feel calm, relaxed and focused.
How much caffeine is in Recess?
None—except for a minuscule amount in the tea-based blackberry chai flavor. Recess is generally caffeine-free, making it an ideal nightcap.
Final Verdict
At this point in my life, I’ve more or less stopped drinking. Sure, it’s fun in the moment, but I hate the post-cocktail crash. Recess CBD sparkling water is the solution I’ve been looking for. It has fun flavors, a satisfying fizz and a combination of ingredients that makes me feel better, not worse. Plus, I love that I can enjoy Recess as a mid-day pick-me-up
Move over Perrier, I’m filling my mini-fridge with Recess. After I drink a can, I feel zen and focused, without any crash side effects or hangover feeling that can come from consuming caffeine or alcohol. And, Recess tastes good and looks cute in the fridge.
Looking for more feel-good bubbly drinks? Try our favorite prebiotic and probiotic soda brands.
Where to Buy Recess Sparkling Water
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Recess CBD Sparkling Water
This CBD-infused sparkling water has a calming blend of hemp & adaptogens in all six flavors.
Order the six-pack Recess sampler directly from the brand’s website. A one-time six-pack will run you $30 while a subscription 12-pack costs $50. While on the pricier side, each can still costs less than even the cheapest drink at the bar or a craft coffee at a cafe. Plus, you just can’t beat that relaxed, productive feeling!
Additional research contributed by former Executive Shopping Editor and contributing writer, Megan Wood
Originally Published: July 17, 2021
