Cheribundi, the Boulder, Colorado-based tart cherry brand owned by NextFoods, has launched two 2-ounce functional shots targeting the sports recovery and sleep categories — its most concentrated format to date and a move that positions the brand directly inside the booming better-for-you shot segment.
The Recovery Shot is built on 100% Montmorency tart cherry concentrate, naturally rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols associated with reduced muscle soreness and faster post-exercise recovery. The Sleep Shot pairs the same tart cherry concentrate with 320 mg of magnesium glycinate — a highly bioavailable form of the mineral — to support deeper sleep without the use of added melatonin. Both products are sold in 30-count packs at cheribundi.com, Amazon, and FreshDirect, with broader retail expansion signaled for later this year.
Market Timing
The launch arrives against a measurable shift in consumer supplement behaviour. A February 2026 ConsumerLab survey of more than 8,850 supplement users found magnesium is now the second most popular supplement in the United States, used by nearly 65% of respondents. That data point underscores why pairing magnesium glycinate with an established recovery ingredient carries commercial logic beyond branding: the ingredient combination maps directly onto the two fastest-growing functional claims in the sports nutrition and wellness channel — recovery and sleep quality.
For foodservice and specialty retail buyers, the 2-ounce shot format also lowers the friction of shelf placement and impulse purchase, a structural advantage in gym pro shops, natural grocery checkout lanes, and e-commerce subscription bundles. Cheribundi has historically supplied professional and collegiate sports teams; the shots allow the same core ingredient to migrate into a consumer convenience format without requiring refrigeration at point of sale.
Portfolio and Distribution Context
The shots join an existing lineup of tart cherry juices, concentrates, and gummies under the Cheribundi banner. NextFoods, founded in 2006, also owns GoodBelly, a gut-health probiotic brand, giving the parent company positioning across two of the highest-growth functional claims in the natural food and beverage industry. The combined portfolio is available in more than 20,000 retail doors nationwide.
"For more than 20 years, Cheribundi has helped athletes recover naturally with the power of tart cherry," said Marc Seguin, Chief Executive Officer of Cheribundi. "Our new shots make it easier than ever to get those benefits, whether you're hitting the gym daily, training for a race, or just winding down for the night."
The functional shot category has drawn increasing investment from both established beverage manufacturers and venture-backed startups as consumers seek precise, low-volume dosing formats over larger-format drinks. Cheribundi's entry reinforces a pattern seen across sports nutrition brands expanding into sleep support and aligns with wider functional beverage innovation trends reshaping the natural channel. The company has not disclosed pricing for the 30-count packs or projected first-year revenue targets for the new SKUs.
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.
