Bruno Mars reveals how his childhood inspired his new pop-up bar

Bruno Mars is thanking his upbringing for helping him bring his latest passion project to life. The musician created a pop-up bar located at Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii.

Mars explains how the bar called SelvaRey Rum Bar was inspired by his days growing up as a young boy in the tropical destination.

Growing up in Hawaii

“I grew up in Hawaii, and I’ve been performing in ... O’ahu my whole life. As a young kid, you see all this joy, and when I’m performing on stage, everybody’s got a beautiful cocktail in their hand,” Mars revealed to People.

He continues,  “You don’t understand, as a kid, that actually everything they’re drinking is rum — from piña coladas to mai tais, to Blue Hawaiians, and now it even involves so many other delicious drinks, really.”

Noting that “there’s the good version of that, and there’s a bad version of that,” the ‘Uptown Funk’ singer continues, “The bad version is a lot of times you’re drinking something sugary, that is way too sweet — a milkshake basically. And SelvaRey offers a higher quality rum.”

“We’re using fresh ingredients and keeping it clean and keeping it simple, and that prevents so many things, such as hangovers,” he adds. “So as far as the bar goes, I want people to experience what I look forward to in a good cocktail.”

Signature drinks

The bar gets its name from the rum brand SelvaRey, which is co-owned by Mars. It’s open daily from 4 p.m. local time until sunset throughout the season.

The bar features a stunning view of Fairmont Orchid’s private Pauoa Bay and cocktails inspired by Mars as well as savory snacks.

On the menu are five signature drinks, all made with SelvaRey Rum, including the Mojito Royale, the Cold Brewno, the Uptown Punch, the Hollywood Colada, and the Weekend at Bruno’s.

When asked what drink item he has an affinity for, Mars said, “My personal favorite is this Hollywood Colada drink we’re doing with fresh pineapple juice, fresh coconut water, and SelvaRey Coconut Rum. That’s hard to beat.”

Mars believes now is the perfect time to open the bar “because summer is upon us and that’s kind of the dream, sipping a mai tai or piña colada on the beach. Who doesn’t fantasize about that?”

“My fantasy is going to an island, being on the sand and having a rum cocktail, so as far as the bar goes at the Fairmont, it’s this dream experience — and with high-quality rum in paradise,” he adds.