Founded in 2014 via Kickstarter by Darren Garvey (and co‑founder Eric Jackson), as an homage to their fathers’ friendship and love of beer. The initial crowdraises raised ~$294K in 2018 for expansion.
The first production space opened in Kāne‘ohe on Oʻahu in 2016, with a small tasting counter. It quickly outgrew that space but then sold off the original facility in order to move to Honolulu’s Chinatown.
In mid-2017, Garvey secured a new larger location at 96 N. King Street in downtown Honolulu. However, permitting took over two years, followed by another year to get power hooked up—delaying the opening significantly.
Beer finally began flowing again in August 2021, with core offerings like Batch 518 Pale Ale, Smoking Cannon Stout, and seasonal releases. The brewpub also featured wood–handcrafted interiors, Pittsburgh-themed décor, and began offering pizzas and crowlers to go.
Failed. What Happened?
Despite local popularity—including being named Hawaii’s best brewery on Yelp—persistent operational delays, permit issues, and the onset of COVID-19 just three months after opening created financial stress too deep to overcome.
Garvey announced in July 2022 that the brewery would permanently close on August 20, 2022, though he would retain the brand name and recipes. The physical brewery was to be sold as a turnkey brewpub setup.
While the brand and recipes still exist, there’s no active brewing or taproom operations. The brewery has not reopened under new ownership, and the original site is no longer active as a brewery.