Cheribundi, the Montmorency tart cherry brand owned by Boulder-based NextFoods, is entering the functional shot segment with two new 2-ounce products: a Recovery Shot and a Sleep Shot. Each delivers the anthocyanin payload of more than 60 tart cherries in a format the company says fits easily into post-workout and pre-bed routines alike.
The Formulas
The Recovery Shot is built on 100% Montmorency tart cherry concentrate, relying on naturally occurring anthocyanins and broader polyphenol content to support muscle recovery and reduce post-exercise soreness — a structure-function positioning consistent with the growing body of peer-reviewed research on tart cherry and exercise-induced inflammation. The Sleep Shot pairs that same concentrate with 320 mg of magnesium glycinate per serving. Magnesium glycinate is widely regarded in the finished-formulation space as one of the most bioavailable magnesium chelates, offering higher absorption relative to magnesium oxide with a gentler gastrointestinal profile. Notably, neither shot contains added melatonin, a positioning that lets Cheribundi sidestep the increasingly crowded — and consumer-scrutinized — melatonin sleep-aid segment.
Market Context
The timing of the launch tracks two converging category trends. First, the functional shot format has gained shelf velocity across sports nutrition and wellness retail, offering high-concentration delivery without the volume commitment of a 12- or 16-ounce juice. Second, magnesium supplementation is accelerating: a February 2026 ConsumerLab survey of more than 8,850 supplement users found magnesium is now the second most popular supplement in the U.S., used by nearly 65% of respondents. That data point gives Cheribundi's Sleep Shot a meaningful consumer pull story beyond the tart cherry core.
Cheribundi has long positioned its products with professional and collegiate sports teams, and the shot format extends that credibility to everyday active consumers who may not reach for a full juice bottle. NextFoods, which also owns the GoodBelly probiotic brand, now spans gut health, recovery, and sleep — a portfolio arc that mirrors the whole-body wellness narrative gaining traction across the supplement and functional food retail channel. The broader functional beverage category, including sports recovery drinks, continues to attract new entrants, making format differentiation increasingly important for established brands looking to defend share.
The Recovery and Sleep Shots are available now in 30-count packs through cheribundi.com, Amazon, and FreshDirect, with additional retail expansion slated for later in 2026. For operators and buyers evaluating the recovery beverage segment, the shot format lowers the per-serving price-point barrier while maintaining the clinical-ingredient story that has driven Cheribundi's sports-team placement strategy for over two decades.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
