CNN’s Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper Address the New Year’s Eve No-Booze Rule, But It’s Okay! They’re Drinking…Something Else

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen kicked off CNN’s New Year’s Eve special by addressing the elephant in the room right at the start.

The broadcast began from Times Square, when Cohen and Cooper remarked on the “balmy” but rainy weather New Yorkers have to ring in 2023. Of course, it didn’t take them 5 minutes to bring up the fact that CNN viewers won’t be treated to alcohol-fueled shenanigans like they’ve seen in the past, because the network has forbidden its hosts from drinking during the festivites.

“We can’t drink!” Cohen exclaimed. While Cooper reminded everyone that he doesn’t normally drink outside of New Years, Cohen announced that he had a backup plan: a pocket full of edibles.

“Will I take them? I don’t think so,” he said ambiguously. “I don’t know. It’s a long night. This is a telethon with no disease. Do you understand? We’re here all night! Passing time!”

Despite the prohibition rule, Cohen announced that he and Cohen will still be able to hold their tradition of raising a toast every hour of the show.

“What we are doing is we are taking a mystery shot!” Cohen announced. From there, he and Cooper put on a pair of blinders and got to the first shot of the night, which just so happened to be pickle juice.

The results were…interesting.

UPDATE – 9:10 P.M. ET: Cohen and Cooper kept the fun going with their second shot of the evening: buttermilk.

Watch above, via CNN.