It's-a me, the Mario-themed bar of your dreams
If you live in the Washington, D.C., area and you love yourself some Mario, there's a bar for you.
The Drink Company, a group of bars under the ownership of cocktail expert Derek Brown, has put together some Cherry Blossom PUBs (Pop-Up Bars) to celebrate cherry blossom season in the nation's capital.
One of those pop-up bars takes place inside Mockingbird Hill, and the Mario-theme has proven so popular that the Washingtonian reports it takes two hours to get in. But one look at some of the photos of the place, and you'll realize exactly why it's worth the wait.
Why yes, that is a moving Petey Piranha on the bar's ceiling and yes, this is in fact the birthday party you always wish you got as a kid. Don't the 1-up mushroom napkins seem sad now in comparison?
Fortunately, this pop-up bar lets you live out the birthday you never had in the proper adult way, with themed drinks. Some of the Mario-approved cocktails on the menu: King Koopa Cup, Press Start + A, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Smaller, and I Call Yoshi!
The pop-up is one of two in D.C. by the Drink Company to celebrate cherry blossom season. The other is rooted in Japanese origami and the famous maneki-neko good fortune cats.
"Japan has always been a source of inspiration for me and, as a native Washingtonian, cherry blossom season is something we look forward to every year,” Derek Brown of Drink Company said in a press release. "This pop-up brings together some of my favorite things under one roof, including both classic cocktails and Mario nostalgia."
These aren't just some of Brown's favorite things. They are our favorite things too, which is why people are literally lining up for a chance to experience it.
If this is a place you definitely want to warp to, you should search for that green pipe fast. The pop-up will run until April 15. If you show up after that date, they'll be forced to tell you that the princess is actually in another castle.
Christine is a Web Culture Intern at Mashable. She has previously written for FanSided and Saturday Down South. She has a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego and an M.S. from Hunter College. Before she started writing, she worked in education as a teacher and school leader for four years. Her special talents include being able to quote The Office on command, playing non-stop Overwatch for hours, and composing only the wittiest of Tweets (her own opinion).
