Primo Brewing & Malting Company
 | |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1897 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, CA |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner | Pabst Brewing Company |
| Website | www |
Primo Brewing Company is a Honolulu-based beer manufacturing company. The company claims the title "Hawai’i’s original beer".[1] The brand is currently owned and operated by Pabst Brewing Company.
History
Around 1897 or 1898[1] the Honolulu Brewing & Malting Company was formed by Honolulu industrialist Alfred Hocking, and launched the Primo Lager brand in 1901.[2] From 1920 to 1933 prohibition caused Primo to halt operations.[3] Other important milestones include;
- 1933: Post prohibition, Primo reopens under ownership of Hawaii Brewing Corporation
- 1963: Schlitz Brewing Company acquires Primo
- 1966: Schlitz builds a new brewery for Primo and other brands in Aiea on Oahu
- 1979: Schlitz closes the 'Aiea brewery and moves production to Los Angeles, California
- 1982: Stroh Brewery Company acquires Primo when it buys Schlitz Brewing
- 1985: Stroh ends production of Primo in the brown bottle and switches to green ones
- 1990: The company returns to the brown bottles
- 1997: Stroh discontinues manufacturing Primo beer
- 1999: Pabst Brewing Company acquires the Primo brand when it purchases assets held by Stroh
- 2007: Pabst decides to bring back the Primo Beer brand[1]
Primo and its parent company revitalized its distribution and marketing since 2007, making it an icon of sorts on the islands. Primo is a key sponsor at many watersport events like surf contests and appears in many bars and stores throughout the state of Hawaii.[4] Although the front office is located in Honolulu and the main Pabst headquarters is in Los Angeles, CA, the Primo Lager sold in state is produced on the island of on Kauai at the Keoki Brewing Company, which still adds sugar cane to each batch.[5]
In May 2007 Keoki Brewing Company was bought by Hawaii Nui Brewing Company.[6] Portions of the island based proceeds go to the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and toward preserving Hawaiian culture, land and heritage.[5]
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A 1904 advertisement for Primo Beer in the Hilo Tribune newspaper -
Advertisement from 1901
See also
References
- ^ a b c Rick Daysog (November 18, 2007). "Primo is back". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ http://homescape.honoluluadvertiser.com/homes/may06/hs0506_st1
- ^ Robert C. Schmitt (1997). "Hawai'i's Beers and Brewers". Hawaiian Journal of History. 31. Hawaiian Historical Society: 143–150. hdl:10524/604.
- ^ Primo Beer sponsors 26th Ann. Longboard Classic
- ^ a b Patricia Chang (December 10, 2008). "The holiday spirits! Honolulu Weekly". Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ "A Look Back in Time..." Hawaii Nui Brewing Company web site. Retrieved November 24, 2010.