Depending on gravity to transport the brewing ingredients, the brewery building stands four stories high. A three-story round-arched central bay, complemented by round-arched windows, emphasizes the building's verticality. The cast-iron entrance pilasters, sunbursts, and parapet provide additional embellishment. Drawing water from two artesian wells located on the property, Honolulu Brewing and Malting manufactured the original Primo Beer in sufficient quantity to supply the entire Territory of Hawaii. Prohibition put the company out of business, and it was not until 1933 that activity resumed, with American Brewing Company producing Royal Beer here until 1961. Following the closure of American Brewing, the building stood vacant until its acquisition by the State of Hawaii in 1998 and rehabilitation as an office space under the direction of the architectural firm CJS Group.

Herman Steinmann maintained an office in New York City and specialized in designing breweries, including the Southern Brewing Company of Boston and the Claus Lipsius Brewery in New York City.