Walmart creates a dedicated space for the mood enhancing functional beverages, marking a milestone for the relaxation category for which Recess has driven the development

Recess, the category defining brand and pioneer of the relaxation beverage space, is working with retail giant, Walmart, to build out a new dedicated functional beverage set for beverages focused on “Mood & Mind.”

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Recess Mood

“Just as we did with the Modern Soda category, Walmart is listening to what customers tell us they want and moving quickly to deliver for them. More recently, customers are choosing beverages based on the moment — whether they’re looking for energy and focus or something that fits into relaxing and unwinding. Recess helped define relaxation beverages, so when we set out to create Mood & Mind, they were a must-have for the assortment.” – Brian Salmon, Vice President of Beverage, Walmart U.S.

Recess was created as an antidote to modern stress, with a vision to make relaxation beverages and ‘taking a Recess’ a part of everyday life. With Recess Mood, the brand brought magnesium and adaptogens into sparkling water - a familiar format consumers could reach for throughout the day or to unwind at night. That approach helped Recess pioneer the modern relaxation category, building a beverage brand around an occasion that had yet to find its place in the aisle.

“When we launched Recess eight years ago, consumers understood the idea of a relaxation beverage before much of the industry did,” said Ben Witte, founder and co-CEO of Recess. “We saw an opportunity to introduce a new type of functional beverage focused on helping people relax and unwind, just as energy drinks had built around the need for a boost. Walmart is seeing that opportunity in its own shopper data. Working together to give the category a dedicated place in the aisle is an exciting next step.”

The new set comes as consumer interest in functional beverages continues to grow. According to SPINS, mood support beverages are growing faster than other functional beverage segments including gut health, protein support, energy and hydration.* “Mood & Mind” brings these emerging consumer needs into the way Walmart organizes its beverage selection, helping shoppers identify products by the occasions they serve.

“This expansion signifies something far beyond just Recess - it’s proof of an exploding category," said Kyle Thomas, co-CEO and President of Recess. "As the pioneer of the space, this validation from Walmart is evident that Recess’ bet on an “unwind” category was never destined to be niche; it’s built for the mass consumer.“

Recess Mood Singles and 4-Packs will be available as part of Walmart’s new “Mood & Mind” set across more than 1,000 stores, focused on the brand’s top-selling SKUs and featuring the new Pink Lemonade 12oz single - further expanding Recess Mood innovation across Walmart.

Source: SPINS, Total US MULO, CY 2025, State of Beverage Report.

About Recess:
Recess launched in 2018 and has been creating functional drinks to help people feel calm and balanced ever since. Now the leader of its category, Recess’ offerings include Recess Mood, a line of sparkling waters and powders made with magnesium and adaptogens, as well as Zero Proof, non-alcoholic craft mocktails. Recess is available on Amazon and in more than 15,000 retail doors nationwide, including Walmart, Target, Costco, Sprouts, Albertsons, Kroger, and more. To learn more about Recess, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook, or visit the brand’s website.

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