Playboy: So on Friday night in Latham, New York, this is the place to be. Mariel: Yep, welcome to college night at the Landing Zone. We pack the house with college students. I suppose you had to squeeze by a few student bodies. Playboy: Indeed, but you’re the queen. Mariel: There is some p ...ower in being the bartender. When I was a freshman I didn’t really have any friends, and then the week after I worked my first shift at the Landing Zone people were coming up and saying hi to me at the school cafeteria’s pancake line. Playboy: The music is pretty random. Mariel:Yeah, we play everything from Kesha to Billy Joel, and everybody goes crazy for the music. Hold on. [gets up on bar to dance] Playboy: Looks like you’re having fun. Mariel: Always when I’m here. Sorry, that was my song. Where were we? Playboy: We’d like a drink. What do you recommend? Mariel: Normally it’s bottled beer around here, but I have something sweet for you: the cheesecake. Consider it dessert in liquid form. THE CHEESECAKE 1 part vodka 1 part vanilla vodka 1 part cranberry juice 1 part pineapple juice Pour over ice in a rocks glass and stir. If you like it extra sweet, drop in a maraschino cherry.

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