Bruno Mars on how Hawaiian upbringing influenced the pop-up bar (exclusive)

Bruno Mars has his upbringing in Hawaii to thank for helping him bring his latest passion project to life.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the 37-year-old musician talks about his SelvaRey Rum Bar, located at Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii, and how he was inspired by his childhood days in The Aloha State.

“I grew up in Hawaii and have been performing on…O’ahu my whole life. As a kid, you see all this joy, and when I’m performing on stage, everyone has a beautiful cocktail in their hand,” says Mars. “When you’re a kid, you don’t understand that really all they drink is rum, from pina coladas to mai tais, blue Hawaiis, and now it even evolves into 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 that a lot of times you’re drinking something sugary, that’s too sweet, a milkshake basically. And SelvaRey offers a higher quality rum.”

“We use fresh ingredients and keep it clean and simple, and that prevents a lot of things, like hangovers,” she adds. “So as far as the bar is concerned, I want people to experience what I expect in a good cocktail.”

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The creation of SelvaRey Rum Bar, named after the rum brand Mars co-owns, was a “no-brainer,” according to the 15-time Grammy Award winner.

Open daily from 4 pm local time until sunset throughout the season, the SelvaRey Rum Bar is complete with a stunning view of Fairmont Orchid’s private Pauoa Bay and offers Mars-inspired cocktails as well as tasty snacks.

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

When asked which drink he has an affinity for, Mars tells PEOPLE: “My favorite is this Hollywood Colada drink that we’re making with fresh pineapple juice, fresh coconut water, and SelvaRey coconut rum. That’s hard to beat.” .

Mars thinks now is the perfect time to open the pop-up bar “because summer is upon us and that’s the dream, having a mai tai or pina colada on the beach. Who doesn’t fantasize about that?”

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

The launch of SelvaRey Rum Bar also kicks off the upcoming Beyond LIMITS series of experiences, which, according to a press release, is “an exciting new collection of unique and breathtaking adventures available exclusively at iconic Fairmont Properties around the world.”

“Beyond LIMITS is designed to elevate the luxury experience beyond what was previously thought possible through highly exclusive, immersive, unexpected and unforgettable voyages of discovery,” the statement continued.

Other Beyond LIMITS experiences include a Tea Noir evening at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows; an Evening of Darkness dinner series at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac; and a Tonga Beach Club at Fairmont San Francisco.