Tyler Florence's 3-Ingredient Upgrade For New Year's Eve Champagne

The new year is quickly approaching, which means it's time to start thinking about resolutions. Some people vow to exercise more, while others try to get more organized. Year after year, our resolution is to try new recipes — and this year, we're getting a head start on New Year's Eve. Everybody knows champagne is the ultimate drink to ring in the new year. And while it's delicious as is, we're trying something a little different this year. Food Network legend Tyler Florence has a more festive, 3-ingredient version of New Year's Eve champagne which features cranberries, cranberry juice, and lime juice, and we're totally giving this a try to keep the party going until midnight.

Florence's recipe couldn't be easier, and it's a total breeze to assemble for a crowd. You'll start by thawing out some fresh, frozen cranberries in the fridge. These will act as a sort of ice cube since they'll still be cold once you put them into the drink. Once they're thawed out, place a handful of them into your favorite flute glasses. Then, squeeze a wedge of lime over them, leaving the wedge in the glass for a nice pop of green. Fill up the glass about a quarter of the way with cranberry juice, and then top it off with your favorite sparkling wine. Watch the lime and cranberries float to the top and create a gorgeous, fresh look to ring the new year in with style.

Tyler Florence's recipe is a simple and elegant way to elevate a plain old glass of champagne, but there are some more ways to change it up, depending on ingredients you have at home and your overall flavor preferences. If you don't like champagne, for instance, Florence says that you can use your favorite sparkling wine, whether that be champagne, cava, or prosecco. All this drink really needs is some sort of bubbly to make it sparkle. And if you're looking for an alcohol-free drink to ring in the new year, you can absolutely use sparkling cider or tonic water instead of sparkling wine.

There are a few other ways to elevate the look of this drink, but we love that Florence incorporates the green and red color combo, so we encourage you to hone in on that festive look. In terms of other flavor pairings, if you've ever had a cosmopolitan or a cranberry-orange muffin, you know that cranberry and orange pair well together. Instead of lime juice (or, in addition to lime juice) add a bit of orange juice over the cranberries for a vibrant, not-so-sour addition. And if you want to take your presentation to the next level, add a cranberry and rosemary garnish to top the flute. Stick a toothpick through two cranberries, and then poke a sprig of rosemary through them both, creating a lovely topper that's sure to make everyone's year.