New Year’s Eve is just a day away and Andy Cohen could not be more excited. Once again, the talk show host will join Anderson Cooper on stage in Times Square for CNN’s raucous “New Year’s Eve Live” celebration. And while the pair may not have been able to imbibe in 2022, booze returned to the program last year — and it will once again be in attendance this Dec. 31.
VinePair spoke with Cohen ahead of the big day to determine what it was like that sobering year, what viewers can expect this New Year’s Eve, and how they can throw just as good of a party at home.
“Even though we couldn’t drink in 2022, we actually had a really good time that year,” Cohen says. “The audience was just so mad we weren’t drunk, but we were silly that year. We laughed a lot, we had a ball, but they were still upset. They couldn’t see past it! They want to see us let go.”
Luckily, the two are once again permitted to drink after the ban was lifted last year, and they have some serious plans in motion. Cohen, a long-time Fresca superfan, partnered with the brand’s ready-to-drink cocktail line Fresca Mixed to help ring in the holidays, so he’ll be drinking some cans of his favorite flavor, Mango Citrus. And, of course, no “New Year’s Eve Live” broadcast would be complete without a bottle of tequila. De Nada Tequila — which the two friends have enjoyed on air in the past — will once again be the tequila of choice for Cohen and Cooper, who plan to take shots at the top of every hour.
“It’s been a journey this year, so to speak,” he says. “Anderson has been working so hard this year, you know, he was out there in that hurricane getting absolutely battered. People really want us to celebrate and let loose on New Year’s Eve, and that’s what we plan to do.”
For those hosting New Year’s Eve festivities of their own, Cohen has some serious — but simple — advice for having the best party. According to the Bravo patriarch, no NYE celebration is complete without the perfect guest list, great lighting (emphasis on the great), and enough booze for everyone. For him, those booze choices are, naturally, tequila and Fresca Mixed. Before the canned cocktail’s launch, Cohen had spent years mixing the agave spirit with non-alcoholic Fresca, but he says all the work is done for him now.
“They’re just the easiest thing. You don’t have to get a bunch of mixers, you don’t have to get a bunch of vodka or tequila, it’s all there for you,” he says. “You can satisfy everyone, they come in so many flavors, and when you serve it people will be so thrilled, like, ‘Oh my God!’ They’ll think you made something extra special.”
Cohen is a self-admitted “ice queen,” so having enough cubes on deck is also imperative to hosting a successful NYE bash. But don’t feel pressure to make your own at home. If Andy Cohen buys his from a store, you can, too.
Tune into this year’s “New Year’s Eve Live” broadcast at 8 p.m. EST on Dec. 31 and have a very happy 2025!
The article What Will Andy Cohen Be Drinking This New Year’s Eve? appeared first on VinePair.
