Vintage Primo Shirt

Ey, howzit! Meet Kimo Primo, the 1980's mascot for the Hawaiian beer brand, Primo. This collector's tee is not only rare, but such a fun addition to any beer or Hawaiian history lover's collection 🤙
 
BRAND: Primo Beer
CIRCA: 1980's
CATEGORY: Men's
SIZE: Large
DETAILS: No tags
MEASUREMENTS: Pit-to-Pit: 21", Length: 30"
RETAIL PRICE: Up to $350
OUR PRICE: $85
 
About Primo Beer
Primo was the child of Alfred Hocking, a Senator of the Republic of Hawaii’s senate. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, a self-proclaimed republic was announced; Hocking represented Maui in the new legislature. Agriculturalist, businessman, politician, and brewer, Hocking founded the Honolulu Brewing and Malting Company and rolled out Primo Beer in 1901. 
 
After Prohibition ended, it was renamed the Hawaii Brewing Co. and by the 1950's, Primo became the best-selling beer on the islands. In 1963, Schlitz Brewing bought the brand, building a new brewery in ‘Aiea, and they continued making Primo until closing it in 1979. At its height, the Hawaiian brewery produced over 400,00 barrels per year.
 
A few years later, in 1982, Stroh Brewing bought the brand and changed the label, as well as the formula, trying to sell the brand outside Hawaii in several states. With mixed success, sales grew and then fell again, and eventually Stroh stopped making Primo in the late '90s.
 
A year or two later, Pabst acquired the brand, along with several others brands from Stroh’s, and they are the current owners of the Primo brand. In 2007, Pabst launched the Primo Brewing Co., with a new recipe created by brewmaster Phil Markowsk. The beer itself is being brewed by a craft brewery on the island of Kauai, Keoki Brewing.