Primo Beer - Hawaiian Lager

It has been a while since I last posted and that's because I've been in Hawaii! On the trip, I had the chance to try many local beers by Kona, Pineapple Wine, and a complete fill of Mai Tais from every bar we passed. Today, we are going to look at one specific beer that I popped on the first day.

Primo was founded in 1898 by Honolulu Brewing & Malting Company, whose brewmaster Emil Joseph Waterman sought to use Hawai'i's high quality water  and pure, island grown, sugar cane for brewing purposes. During the Prohibition era, Primo closed its doors, but later reopened, and by the 1950s and 1960s, it had become the state's best-selling beer.

In 1963, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company bought Primo and built an 8.8 acre-brewery in 'Aiea (an area just north of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu), which, at its height, was producing 400,000 barrels a year. The brand's popularity was such that in 1966, retailers had to ration sales to two six-packs per customer.

Schlitz closed the 'Aiea plant 1979 and three years later it sold Primo to Stroh Brewery Company and continued declines in sales prompted Stroh to shut down the company in 1997.

In 2007, Pabst Brewing Company out of Chicago was contracted by MillerCoors out of Irwindale, CA, to create the Primo Brewing and Malting Company, thus bringing back Primo Beer, the once popular “made-in-Hawaii” brand that disappeared about a decade ago.

On a recent trip to Hawaii, I had the chance to try the “Island” lager that is 4.65% ABV – a little more than most lagers that usually average under 4%. It has a pale, foamy, thin head and the body is clear and bright with a golden color.  The unique flavor and aroma comes from a touch of raw Hawaiian cane sugar that is now imported to the main land for brewing. Primo represents the best of both worlds; the rich taste of a craft-brewed beer with the drinkability of a lighter lager.

Today, even though it is not produced in Hawaii (bottled in California and draft produced in Lihue by Keoki Brewing), Primo sales continue to climb as interest sparked among long-time beer drinkers who can recall the taste of the light-tasting, low-cost beer. Pabst is collaborating with craft beer maker Keoki Brewing Co. to produce a higher-end version of Primo, which would compete with premium lagers like Heineken.