It features a distinctive decorative facade and is the oldest remaining structure associated with brewing in the state of Hawaii.

[2] The building was designed in 1899 by Hermann Steinmann,[3] a New York architect experienced in brewery design for the Honolulu Malting and Brewing Company, in the then-contemporary Romanesque style.

[4] The first beer to enter production was Primo in 1901, and the company received a license in 1903 for "malt liquor".

[5] Prohibition began in 1918 in Oahu, and upon its repeal, the brewery became home to the American Brewing Company.

In 1960, with declining sales of Royal, American Brewing Company invested $250,000 in a modernization plan.