Drew Estate

The story of Drew Estate is a story of daring, heartache and success, but above all of passion for cigars and the country of Nicaragua, where we've been making cigars since 1998.

Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel are no ordinary cigar makers, Their story doesn't begin in Cuba, or with the fathers of the cigar industry. It all began with a dream, a spirit of initiative and a steadfast attitude, Drew Estate has become one of the world's leading cigar manufacturers. Two brothers from New York started small.... Small, as in a 16-square-foot trade booth in New York's World Trade Center.

Back in Brooklyn, Marvin held down the fort, a battered office in DUMBO, begging and borrowing from anyone who would give them a chance... relatives, cousins, friends, unscrupulous characters... For about a year, the situation was grim. ... But they were onto something, just needed more money...

In early 1999, Jonathan returned to Brooklyn with several amazing new blends for Drew Estate's next release. It was different, even shocking, and needed something equally spectacular to launch it. Enter Scott “ACID” Chester, emerging artist in the DUMBO scene, whose blend of industrial, urban, graffiti and motorcycle art would make the ideal vehicle. 1998 and 1999 were crazy... fumes, an empty bank account, but little by little, we chipped away... Great people came to us and pointed us in the right direction... We could have easily outsourced our cigars, all indoors, owned our own factory, made our own cigars, done things our own way, which turns out to be the more difficult route.

In 2000, we were ready for Round 2 with the release of Natural by Drew Estate. The ying to ACID's yang, Natural was equally original and traditional. The Natural launch took place on a vintage yacht in Manhattan with invited friends and industry representatives. Natural's seductive flavor and aroma were the perfect match for a special evening.

Contrary to popular belief, ACID wasn't our first cigar brand. La Vieja Habana was. Originally released in 1998, this traditional cigar put us on the map, but when Hurricane Mitch ravaged Nicaragua, the brand was put on hold. In 2001, La Vieja Habana returned strong and proud in elegant Art Deco form, a blend of tropical Cuban and New York decor. The cigar, a real cigar smoker's stick, rich tobaccos, an excellent choice of wrappers and an unbeatable price.

In early 2001, we were making progress when Forbes magazine published an article entitled Cult Brands and featured us alongside brands such as Krispy Kreme, Apple & Harley Davidson! It was a great validation of the hard work we'd put in, and put a little closure on our pitches the rest of the year.

In 2002, our small Esteli factory was making extraordinary cigars, and many of them too, like our latest AMBROSIA Tobacco Exxotica infused cigar. Everyone looked at us like we had three heads when we published it, but no matter, it was a testament to our dedication to The Rebirth of Cigars and Jonathan's vision of the cigar subculture.

The year 2004 brought us to a crossroads. Our growing company needed a change. So we packed our bags and left the confines of New York for the fun and sun of Miami. Our move to Miami coincided with the hiring of a new president, Steve Saka. His challenge, to guide us to the next level (and to kick everyone's ass like a drill sergeant).

On the horizon, dreams were about to come true. Jonathan's complete vision of La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. The dream begun almost 10 years ago is becoming reality with the construction of our new plant.

One of the most impressive cigar factories in Central America. Our old Esteli factory had been our home for almost a decade. It's amazing to think of the millions of cigars we've been able to produce there. Cigars are so much more than the factory they're made in, it's the people who make them that really make it special. Viva Estelianos! You're the best!

We bought a greenfield site overlooking a valley and tobacco fields. We inaugurated the site for our factory in September 2006.

La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, which opened its doors in July 2007, is truly a must-see show. At over 100,000 m², it's the largest cigar factory in Nicaragua and one of the five largest premium cigar factories in the world. While others have built simple, economical structures in the shape of cinderblock cubes, we understood the importance of making our factory special. It's not just where we make 94,000 handmade cigars a day, but who we are and what Drew Estate means.

We invite all enthusiasts of cigars to visit and experience for themselves the positive vibrations emitted by hundreds of chavetas clicking away in our large lounge. With its stunning architecture, endless hand-painted murals and bright, open working atmosphere, this factory «seduced» everyone who had the privilege of visiting. Art is a huge part of the La Gran Fabrica experience, with large, colorful murals and intricate border paintings adorning every wall at every turn. A blend of Nicaraguan culture and brand-inspired art is painted by the talented artists of Drew Estate's Subculture Studio.

All this, and ..

We're just getting started...

Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel