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THERE’S NO DENYING THAT JONATHAN DREW
is a maverick. He and his
partners at Drew Estate broke virtually every unspoken rule in an industry defined by tra-
dition to create a cigar that won a cult following. Then they parlayed that stronghold into a
powerhouse brand whose success galvanized the cigar industry to rethink flavored cigars.
And that was just the beginning.
The subsequent launches of Liga Privada and Chateau Real cigars proved that the relative
newcomer was a rising star with staying power. By the time the company was acquired by
Swisher International in 2014, Drew Estate boasted a broad product portfolio, ranging from
smaller, tinned smokes to full-bodied double coronas. Jonathan Drew spent the ensuing
years traveling the country—and the world—as a brand ambassador, but early this year
Swisher reinstated him in the role of president of the company he built and charged him
with recapturing the roots and core values on which it was founded. In the interview that
follows, Drewwalks us through the company’s inception and early years, shares his views on
the state of the industry and discusses his plans for the “rebirth of Drew Estate.”
ON REINVENTING
DREW ESTATE
JONATHAN DREW
RETURNS TO LEAD
THE
REBIRTH OF AN ICON
BY JENNIFER GELFAND
V
PHOTOGRA PHY BY CANDACE WEST
p.
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