Jonathan Drew at his Miami home
Drew Estate announced that Jonathan Drew will return to an executive role with the company as president and founder, with oversight for the entire portfolio of brands. Jonathan will also continue to serve as CEO of his spirits venture, John Drew Brands, which is initially focused on bourbon, rye, and rum.
“Jonathan Drew is a dynamic entrepreneur, respected tobacco man, and a tenacious brand evangelist. He is the original Disruptor, and I am excited to help build a team around JD that is raw, provocative, and unafraid to challenge the mainstream and take risks,” said Drew Estate’s CEO Glenn Wolfson in a statement included in the press release.
“I’m a student of graffiti … and philosophically I look at tobacco the same way,” said Jonathan in that same release. ”There is an evolution to the painted walls in the streets, just like there was on the subways back in the day. Change is natural and accepted. You just have to bomb harder and stay true to your technique and style – and always keep loyal to your crew. There’s a lot to learn from areas outside of our main canvas at DE. We will return to high-level curation, mixed media platforms, and true collaboration. We have lost our way a bit, but DE will bubble back 1,000 times stronger. Believe me.”
Learn more about the history and trajectory of Drew Estate — including the hip hop and graffiti elements that inspired the brand’s identity — in this piece we published in the November/December 2016 issue of Cigar Snob.
