The line is “Take a Recess” not “Drink Recess.” 

That subtle, yet intentional decision on how to position the relaxation platform has guided Recess’ path since day one, claims founder and CEO Ben Witte. And with today’s announcement of major new distribution for its non-CBD Mood line and new Mocktail offerings, Witte believes he has the products to reflect that broad value proposition and propel the brand to the next level.  

Recess is undertaking its largest retail expansion yet, one that will bring those the Mood and Mocktail lines, along with Mood stick packs, to 5,000 new doors – including national chain grocers like Target, Albertsons, CVS, H-E-B, Sprouts and Winn Dixie. For a company that began with a CBD beverage and restricted distribution due to the lack of federal guidance, Witte said a rollout to national, conventional retailers is a testament to the “unique” business model that he believes “is very much beginning to work.” 

“Creating a new category or a new space is a fundamentally different exercise than going into an existing category and trying to capture market share,” Witte states. In addition to national chains, Recess is also looking to bring its Mocktails to “anywhere alcohol is served” – starting with The University of Southern California and a new deal that will make Recess’ mocktail line the Official Mocktail of the USC Trojans. 

Witte may have been preaching the gospel of a “relaxation platform” for some time, but similarly minded competitors – whether in hemp-derived or adaptogen-powered formats – have also made gains. For a company that is only just five years old, why does Witte believe it's necessary “to go broader than any beverage company traditionally would” at this stage in the game… and how does he make it work?

Stay tuned for the full story on BevNET.

Diageo has gotten the greenlight to proceed with the construction of a $33 million extension of its Baileys Irish Cream global supply facility in Northern Ireland, one of only two production sites for the liqueur brand.

• Diageo produces more than 60 million bottles of Baileys per year from the County Antrim operation, and expansion plans will enable logistics and warehousing facilities improvements.
• Volumes declined by 5% in FY23, with organic sales flat, but Baileys maintains its reign as the leader in cream liqueurs. 
• From 2016 to 2020, premium-and-above cream liqueurs ($25+) grew much faster than the rest of the segment in Europe and the U.S., according to the IWSR, and newcomers have tried to take advantage of that by positioning themselves as bringing something different or higher quality into the category. 

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Liquid Death is opening up a new front in its proclaimed war on plastic with the release of the reusable Slaughter Bottle.

• Available in white and black versions, the 32 oz. Slaughter Bottle is now available for presale on Liquid Death’s website for $39.
• It wasn’t immediately clear if the bottles will be a permanent addition to Liquid Death’s merch page or if it’s only a limited edition run. However, preorders for the white bottle have already sold out as of this morning.
• The brand recently announced a major marketing coup as an official event partner for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.

Fitness-focused Celsius announced this morning that it has become the official energy drink of Major League Soccer (MLS).

• Having already signed a partnership with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami team in February, the deal marks Celsius’ first national, professional sports sponsorship.
• The partnership runs through the 2026 season and positions Celsius as the “presenting partner of extra time in all League-controlled matches” with on-field LED advertising opportunities.
• The energy drink brand will also integrate into MLS matches on Apple TV, immersive brand activations, social media campaigns and retail promotions.

Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime is continuing to feel the heat of the spotlight as two new class action lawsuits take aim at the ingredients panels for the brand’s energy and hydration drinks.

• A lawsuit filed earlier this month in a California court by plaintiff Elizabeth Castillo claims that testing showed Prime’s hydration drinks contain synthetic perfluoralkyl and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAs), which European and American federal agencies have alleged can be harmful to humans.
• A second case, filed in Florida, takes aim at the company and its marketer Congo Brands, claiming Prime violated false advertising laws by presenting the drinks as being healthy despite using artificial sweeteners and high doses of caffeine (200 mg) in the Energy line.
• Spencer Sheehan, the plaintiff’s attorney in the Florida case, is known for frequently filing labeling lawsuits against food and beverage companies, having filed over 500 lawsuits between January 2020 and April 2023.

Canned coconut water brand 100 Coconuts is beefing up its sales team with the addition of two beverage industry veterans, Darrell Bostick and Reuben Rios, as its directors of national accounts and distribution for the East and West Coast regions.

• Rios comes to the coconut water brand with more than 30 years of experience working at FITAID, Southern Wine and Spirits and energy drink brand Xyience as VP of sales.
• Bostick brings decades of sales experience working for drink makers like BIOLYTE, Calypso Lemonade, General Wholesale Beer Company and Pepsi Bottling Group.
• The company added to its executive team at the beginning of the year bringing Jason Miller on as president of sales and Sherina Garcia as marketing director. They have helped grow the brand’s grocery distribution by +250% YTD. The brand recently added to its portfolio with Pineapple and Mango varieties.

Listen to last week’s Taste Radio episode to hear how 100 Coconuts founder Gregory Lowe II built the brand.

• Fresh off of its second quarter earnings, zero-sugar beverage company Zevia announced that its current SVP financial planning and analysis Florence Neubauer would be Zevia’s interim chief financial officer as the company seeks a permanent replacement. 
• Neubauer previously held a series of finance positions as PepsiCo for nearly 5 years and before that was a finance director at Pernod Richard. She is replacing Denise D. Beckles, effective on September 3. Beckles is “pursuing another opportunity,” according to a press release.

Hakki Akendiz, an immigrant who became a successful entrepreneur and lauded philanthropist, is living the American Dream. He also for years experienced the plight of living without housing. His business, Champion Pizza, gives a voice to both.

Listen to the full episode of Taste Radio