You just introduced SelvaRey Coconut Rum. Why do coconut and rum go together so well? “I don’t know. Why are shorts short and why are long pants long? Why do cats chase mice? These are deeper questions I’m not qualified to answer. It just is the way it is!”
To support the rum’s launch, you created a vintage-style campaign series with Anderson .Paak. What music helped you channel that vibe? “‘Leave the Door Open’ on repeat. Also, to me there’s no such thing as vintage when you’re talking about trying to create something. You just create what you feel.”
Is the Piña Colada a cocktail classic or a guilty pleasure? “This one is tough to answer. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say…both.”
ADVERTISEMENT
If you could have a drink with one musician dead or alive, who would it be and what would you drink? “I’d drink a Mojito with Luther Vandross!”
What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? “‘The Sound of Silence’ by Simon and Garfunkel.”
What’s your favorite rum-and-food pairing? “A Christmas meal topped off with Coquito.”
After a long night performing on stage, what’s the perfect drink to unwind with? “Coconut rum and ginger ale. Two ingredients. Simple. Great.”
Name the first good cocktail you ever drank and where you had it. “I can’t remember the first time. But I do remember one time I was in Puerto Rico and had a Mango Piña Colada that really hit the spot. Turned into my go-to.”
Do you have a signature cocktail that you like to make? If so, what is the recipe? “That Mango Piña Colada I was just talking about. Here’s the recipe:
- 2 oz SelvaRey Coconut Rum
- 3 oz Pineapple juice
- 1 oz Coconut cream
- .5 cup Fresh 1-inch mango cubes
- 1 cup Ice
- Squeeze of lime
Blend all the ingredients. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and an umbrella.”
Do musicians think about and envision flavors differently? “The true but boring answer is no. Flavors are flavors. But the cool and witty thing to say would be (dramatic pause): As a musician, I know that just like a great song, a drink needs to be mixed... just right.”
Bruno Mars is a Grammy Award-winning musician and co-owner of SelvaRey Rum.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
