The beer that tastes like history

As Hawaii’s population ages, our desire to relive bits and pieces of days gone by seems to increase. Welcome back, Primo beer.

Starting today, Honolulu retailers will get their first bottled taste of one of Hawaii’s best known, and sometimes loved, local beers. The draft Primo has been available at some local restaurants since December.

Primo Brewing & Malting Company is rolling out the new bottled version of Primo to a handful of specialty beer and wine shops. The original Primo beer was brewed first in 1898 by Honolulu Brewing & Malting Company. These days the brand is owned by Pabst Brewing Company and bottled in California.

No matter how you look at it, bottled Primo is imported beer. Just like Heineken. The real question is, ‘Does today’s Primo beer taste like yesterday’s Primo beer?’

I’ve tried the draft Primo and I can tell you what it tastes like. It tastes like Pabst. I suspect the bottled Primo will taste like Pabst. Pabst is the chickenized rattlesnake meat of beers. Rattlesnake meat tastes like chicken. Nostalgia beer tastes like Pabst.