Located inside the historic Brown Palace Hotel in downtown the Churchill Bar opened in 1996 in a space once occupied by office used by founder Henry C. Brown. The Churchill is a throwback, with its red-leather chairs and a library-like aura. This is where sophisticated folks go to smoke a great cigar, sip a fine wine or try a single-malt scotch, small-batch bourbons or any of its other many spirits. The Churchill serves lunch and dinner Sunday through Friday and is open Saturday from 3 to 11 p.m.

Havana’s carries about 40 brands of cigars and has a room befitting Cherry Creek. Smokers can lounge in comfort on cushy leather chairs and couches, work on their computer (free high-speed wireless Internet) or enjoy the HD satellite TV while puffing on your favorite stogie. Havana’s also offers a poker table and private meeting space. Havana’s has a regular Thursday gathering at 6 p.m. for cigar smokers. Hours: Mon-Thu 2-8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10 a.m.-9 p.m; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Denver’s oldest smoke shop sells 75 brands and 375 different cigars, including Davidoff, Ashton and Montecristo. A personal favorite, Jerri’s is conveniently located for downtown visitors in the Pavilions, right behind the Hard Rock Cafe. Since its move to this larger downtown space a few years ago, Jerri’s has added fine wines to its wares, proving the shop is not resting on its laurels with 53 years in business. Smoking is allowed and there’s a small seating area in the front. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (summers open until 9 p.m.)

This Writer Square shop has been open since 1996. It offers more than 40 cigar brands, accessories, pipes, tobacco and a collection of cigar store Indians, hand-crafted from American hardwoods by artist Ralph Gallagher. Located where downtown meets Lower Downtown, Tewksbury is open seven days a week, including noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, when it is one of the few downtown shops to sell wine. This eclectic store also has a cigar of the month club with a variety of yearly memberships in which clients receive one to four cigars monthly for a yearly price of $115 to $395. Hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun noon-5 p.m.

Better known as Devon’s Pub, this saloon on the corner of Happy Canyon Road and Hampden Avenue in south Denver, has become a Mecca for cigar and cigarette smokers alike. Since the Colorado smoking ban, the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, went into effect July 1, 2006, Devon’s has been a haven for smokers. Devon’s turned its walk-in humidor into a wall unit to allow more seating. Still, the bar maintains the 5 percent tobacco sales threshold to allow smoking inside. An expanded patio is available for those who seek fresh air. The pub does not sell food, but allows customers to order from Aurelio’s pizzeria in the same shopping center and other restaurants, such as Jimmy John’s up the road on Hampden Avenue. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-close; Sun 11 a.m.-close.

Although this shop caters to the pipe smoker, with its many fine tobacco and pipe selections, cigar smokers are not left out. The humidor is small but packed with a variety of cigars, including several bundled, generic bargain cigars usually on the floor. There’s even a small “lounge” area that will remind you of those old rumpus rooms from the 1970s – only better because it has a flat-screen TV to watch in the back of the store. Driving tip: From Broadway, turn west on Girard Avenue and park in the rear lot; sometimes it’s tough to park on Broadway from either direction but you can enter Edward’s from the back. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

I took up cigar smoking in 1993 and there were few cigar shops in Denver, but I would make the drive from Arvada to Prince Phillip’s – then inside Tamarac Square – for its fine cigars and even its finer personal service. Owner Jon V. Cacherat and his daughter Colleen have a laidback flair in running this shop that has been a mainstay for 28 years in southeast Denver. Offering more than 40 cigars, including a variety of Padrons and Arturo Fuentes, a plethora of pipes, tobacco and accessories, Prince Philip’s welcomes you with that pleasant smoky smell that wafts from the back where Jon and his pals hold court. Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Between Wadsworth and Kipling in the southwestern suburbs this shop mainly sells wines from more than 30 Colorado vineyards. The shop sells more than 30 brands of cigars, including Davidoff, La Gloria Cubana, Partagas, Dunhill and Ashton. Also known as Avanti Winery, the shop is open Mondays 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 pm., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There are free wine tastings Thursday through Sunday and daily in December. The shop sells wine seven days a week.

Like many of the cigar shops in Denver, Cigars on 6th is a spot where cigar aficionados can smoke and talk “stogie” with their brethren in a comfortable atmosphere. Several cigar smoking buddies rave about the selection in this small shop. It has a full supply of Padrons and, when the weather’s nice – and it often is in Denver – you can laze outside and watch the world go by on bustling 6th Avenue. Driving tip: Cigars on 6th is only five blocks east of Speer Boulevard, a main Denver artery which runs through downtown, so it’s easy to reach. Your best bet is to park on one of the side streets (Pearl, Washington or Clarkson) if you cannot find an immediate spot on Sixth. Or have lunch across the street at Brothers BBQ, which has a parking lot at Washington and Sixth, then head to Cigars on 6th. Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun noon-6 p.m.

Just 10 blocks east of Broadway (just a few doors from the Ogden Theatre), What’s Not to Love is a warehouse of cigars compared to many of Denver’s small shops. That means a plentiful selection of cigars and accessories (that’s all they sell; no cigarettes, smokeless of chewing tobacco), plus a 4,000-square foot humidor space in the basement. I have a friend who stores his cigars there, and he loves premium smokes, so that’s good enough for me. What’s Not to Love has a friendly staff and top-notch website with plenty of information for the novice or the veteran cigar smoker. Hours: Mon-Wed 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thu-Sat 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.