CEO & Founder, Ben Witte shares how Recess taps venue and
festival partnerships from Soho House to Coachella to meet the demand for zero-proof options and the strategy behind becoming The Surf Lodge's Official Mocktail.
- Recess has
partnerships with both local venues and larger music festivals. What have you learned from working with venue partners like Soho House, Webster Hall, and major festivals like Coachella?
Expanding our on-premise distribution has been a key focus to our growth this year, and we’ve solidified very strong partnerships with venues like Surf Lodge, several
Bowery venues (i.e., Webster Hall, Terminal 5), and have shown up at festivals like Stagecoach, Coachella, and Lollapalooza.
The key learning we’ve taken away is
something that we’ve thought for a while now - that no matter the event (from concerts to clubs), consumers’ standards for non-alcoholic menu options are at an all-time high. The demand is
there for delicious, on-menu mocktails.
Recess was the Official Mocktail Partner of The Surf Lodge
last summer. What was the strategy behind this partnership?
Surf Lodge is the music destination in Montauk every summer, and just as we’ve seen
across every venue, there was a gap on the menu for a ready-to-drink canned mocktail. The Recess Zero Proof and Mood collections fit the bill perfectly, as the drinks offer perfect alcohol
alternatives or a craft, functional beverage between cocktails. And beyond being a direct replacement for concertgoers who might be refraining from drinking, we’ve found consumers are leaning
heavily towards alcohol moderation. In turn, Recess has become a go-to “drink between drinks,” as it offers zero proof options that fits in seamlessly to social settings.
How do you explain the difference between Recess and soft drinks to your consumers?
The key difference between Recess and traditional soft drinks is the use of our functional blend of ingredients, with each line designed for a specific usage occasion and benefit. For
the Zero Proof line specifically, we formulated this recipe to be a direct replacement for alcohol in social settings, thanks to the functional nootropic, guayasa, and a light boost of natural
caffeine. Our Mood collection leverages a powerful form of magnesium (Magnesium L-Threonate) to calm the mind and lift the mood.
When consumers, especially at events
like concerts, want a non-alc alternative, soft drinks are no longer sufficient. Our Zero Proof collection even looks and tastes similar to its canned cocktail counterparts (i.e. Cosmopolitan, Paloma,
Margarita, etc). By mimicking the experience of drinking alcohol, Recess helps consumers make the non-alcoholic swap more seamlessly.
What is your go-to Recess flavor?
It’s incredibly hard to choose, but I’ve always loved our
Strawberry Rose Mood, and I’ve recently been obsessed with our newest launch - Orange Vanilla Mood. It’s reminiscent of orange and cream sodas, with a delicious subtle sweetness. In the
Zero Proof collection, my go-to this summer has been the Island Spritz.
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