Drew Estate

Drew Estate is the maverick of the cigar industry, founded in 1996 under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn. Pioneers of the infused cigar category with ACID, they operate La Gran Fabrica in Estelí — one of the largest hand-rolled cigar factories in the world.

Key Facts

The Story

Drew Estate was born under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood in 1995, when Jonathan Drew and his fraternity brother Marvin Samel opened a 16-square-foot cigar kiosk in the World Trade Center. They incorporated Drew Estate Inc. in 1996. After Hurricane Mitch devastated Central America in 1998, threatening the company with bankruptcy, Jonathan Drew moved to Nicaragua and opened Drew Estate's first factory in Estelí. The company's fortunes changed dramatically when they began producing ACID cigars for New York artist Scott Chester — infused smokes using oils, botanicals, and herbs that became one of the top-selling long-filler brands in America. In 2006, Drew Estate opened La Gran Fabrica, a 96,000-square-foot facility that was the largest hand-rolled cigar factory in Nicaragua and among the top five globally. The company was acquired by Swisher International in 2014 but continues to operate under its founders. Beyond ACID, the brand produces acclaimed traditional lines including Liga Privada, Undercrown, and Herrera Esteli.