We’re back with our Brooklyn Special Effects January Sessions, where we spotlight the artists, musicians, and makers whose passion and creativity charge our borough with its unmatched energy. In the spirit of Dry (or Dryish) January, we caught up with a few of our neighbors to hear how Brooklyn Special Effects helps them stay inspired and do what they love.

Bryndon Cook, a multidisciplinary musician and producer, has spent over a decade shaping the New York music scene with his unique blend of soul, R&B, and indie influences. Known for his work as a solo artist and his collaborations with artists like Solange and Blood Orange, Bryndon’s creative vision resonates across genres. As he reflects on the fast-paced journey that brought him to Brooklyn, Bryndon has embraced a new phase of self-discovery — one centered on patience, balance, and mindful choices.

We sat down with Bryndon to hear about how incorporating non-alcoholic beverages into his life has helped him stay grounded, focused, and more in tune with his authentic self in the whirlwind of a city that never slows down.

Brooklyn Brewery: What is currently important to you as it pertains to living the best version of you?

Bryndon Cook: Now I’ve been in New York for over a decade now, which is kind of crazy to reflect on. I think the journey of coming here that many people have is filled with so much intention, purpose, dreams, and imagination. You bring so much baggage with you, and this place has a lot that precedes it. The time leading up to coming to New York felt like walking through molasses. And then once I got here, everything happened so fast. After pulling my head up from that tunnel vision focus, I’m realizing it’s crazy how fast it happens, and how fast the choices come at you too. 10 years just kind of flies.

I’m trying to slow down a bit, to recollect and reflect. The patience has really come back in like, “Okay, let me touch back base with where I am, what I’ve done, what got me here, what’s served me, what hasn’t.” That’s definitely been a time marker for this time in my life: patience and reflection.

BB: How have non-alcoholic options left a lasting impact on your relationship with drinking?

BC: Sometimes you have to remind yourself that part of the allure of coming here was that you have so many choices, and so many opportunities to engage or not. Drinking is baked into a lot of the culture in New York – it’s part of the atmosphere. After some time you can look back and be like, “Oh, how many did I have?” It’s just another one of those things to kind of take stock of. I used to put three pumps of sugar in my coffee. Now I have it black. I still have a little coffee on a special occasion, but it’s really all about coming back to center on those choices and re-navigating back to the steering wheel and saying “here are the pegs.” Here are my North, South, East, West Cardinal directions. Getting a hold of that’s been great. It’s kind of taken me back to being a child again, to the kid who came here in the first place. Getting back to those basics has been really special and rejuvenating.

BB: How has cutting back on drinking or incorporating NA beverages helped you learn more about yourself?

BC: I like to celebrate with my friends if we achieve a goal that we have. It’s nice to enjoy something like that, but moderation, patience and individualism really come into play. You have the power to choose how you want to feel, and when you want to indulge. It’s really nice to get back to the core of what works for me, and drinking on special occasions is where I like to keep it. Reminding myself that it’s up to me, that that’s my individual experience and touching base with that has helped me.

BB: Has your perception of NA beverages changed since you first saw them on the market?

BC: It hasn’t been until I’ve gotten older that I’ve really seen representations of non-alc, whether that’s in advertising, or just in personal experiences with my friends.

I know a lot of people who have recently become parents, and I’m an uncle, so I have an appreciation for how the culture around drinking has changed, and will continue to change for future generations. There’s a whole new world that has opened up through the options people have. It’s like music, you know, when genres can have so many different niches and corners and folks for people to rest in, I think there’s nothing better.

BB: Has limiting alcohol in your life changed the way you approach personal growth, both in your career and your day-to-day life?

BC: I find the balance of it all to be a pretty fascinating thing. I recently had a few injuries that took me off my feet and I was physically, literally getting my balance back, and trying to learn how to walk again for months. There’s a situational correlation here – what I found in getting my feet back was that while it’s still my legs, they’re different. Things are moving differently, things are connecting differently, it’s not the same as it was before. Finding that balance under a new set of circumstances has proven to be a whole new revelation.

A lot of my career has been a lot of working with and for other people, whether that’s music directing, working on albums – being a part of a group vision. Before I came to New York and started doing that, my relationship to music and to writing screenplays was very personal and private. After coming to New York, it’s not that I lost it, but work begets work and you start to drift into places that present company have you in. When it comes to drinking, there’s also that same kind of thing.

Now coming back to myself in this chapter of my life, where I found this kind of new sense of balance, it’s like going right back to point A when I was the first guy who kind of brought me here. Recently, making music has been fun for me in a way it hasn’t been in a while. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t have a grogginess or stiffness from pushing it to the limit a night before. The next day, I carry the same goals that brought me here in the first place.

BB: What would you say to someone who’s thinking about cutting back on alcohol or participating in Dry January?

BC: Actualizing your dreams starts every morning, and every day, and in every choice you have.

I wasn’t born in New York. I’ve been here for a minute now, but I definitely had a pilgrimage here. I definitely trekked into this place and it’s a brave thing to do, and it’s a brave thing to sustain too. It’s a formidable opponent. The people who are in the city that have been doing what you’re doing long since before you, you can tell.

I think the bravery that it took to take that step is one of the most gratifying things to remind yourself of, because it allows you to recall how much faith you have steeped in yourself and in your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Those are the things to hold on to and not to let go of. Non-alcoholic beverages can help regulate that relationship between yourself and how much energy you want to put into achieving your goals.

Follow Bryndon on Instagram to stay in the loop about his latest projects. Looking for more stories from our neighborhood? Check out our interview with Executive Chef Fariyal Abdullahi and keep an eye on our Instagram for more Do More interviews soon. Plus, drink along with $5 shipping on all Brooklyn Special Effects orders from our Online Store this Dry January.