We don’t mean to start out a product review with the same ol’ boring intro about what CBD is and why it could be good for you, or how hemp-derived CBD is legal in all 50 states across the U.S., and how you should always consult with a licensed physician before taking it even though it has been deemed mainly safe to experiment with under normal circumstances. But we just did.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s delve headfirst into CBD infused drinks. Drinks infused with cannabidiol can be considered pretty much the same thing as CBD infused edibles in terms of the way they interact with your body. In short, they enter the body the same way and get processed through the same digestive actions and organs as an edible would.

However:

Because they are liquids, the bioavailability of CBD infused drinks could be different than that of a CBD cookie or hard candy. So, the idea of how it works is the same but with minor differences here and there.

Then there’s also the fact that drinks themselves offer different qualities than that of oils, solid edibles, and vape pens. Because at the end of the day they are different products. The question then stands, what is the purpose of this drink you’re having; is it getting drunk, is it refreshing, or is it meant for cold days? The answer to that question is part of the additional benefits that don’t have to do with CBD and that will ultimately steer us away from a brand towards another.

Recess is a CBD infused canned sparkling water. Currently, Recess gives you the opportunity of choosing from 6 different flavors. All equally delicious and frankly, quite different from the normal canned sparkling water’s MO.

Each can comes filled with 255 mg of liquid and infused with 10 mg of hemp-derived CBD extract. Not only that, but Recess tries to set themselves apart from the competition by infusing their product with Adaptogens. That’s where we start to understand why Recess is worth picking up from the aisle and why other CBD infused sparkling waters stand a level below.

Adaptogens are non-toxic natural ingredients (usually herbs, roots, and such) that help increase the body’s ability to adapt and cope with external stressors. Their ultimate goal is to induce the body into a state of normal physiological functioning, free of stress, and ready to act as it is meant to.

Unlike many other CBD brands (drinks or others), Recess does not merchandise a drink for evenings. Recess is a day-time drink and even though it is meant to leave you feeling “Calm, Cool, Collected”, it is not meant to leave you feeling overwhelmingly relaxed and numb.

Because it is a day-time drink that banks off of the combination of CBD with adaptogens, Recess is able to provide you with a feeling of focused relaxation that can help you recharge energies and get you through a challenging day. This is a drink characterized by it’s uplifting and inspiring effects.

A good CBD experience, or a good ‘anything’ experience for that matter, is defined by making sure that the experience described by the brand is the same as the experience you feel when consuming the product. In the case of CBD products, those experiences tend to revolve around feeling calm, finding better sleep, being more present, and feeling more focused.

It might sound a bit cliche by this point because most CBD brands claim something that doesn’t seem too far away from those benefits. However, you can’t really blame them because this is exactly what CBD does. It’s not really up to them, regardless of how repetitive it might sound.

But instead of taking that as a negative poke at CBD brands, we take it as an opportunity for CBD brands to excel. To show something different. To show us, the consumers, that even while they ‘stick to their guns’ when it comes to delivering formidable CBD effects, they can also step outside the box and provide us with experiences that don’t feel monotonous.

With additional functional ingredients that enhance the benefits of CBD, with flavors that make us feel surprised, shocked, and inspired, and ultimately with products that we’ve never seen before and made us feel unique when we consume them.