James & Sons Tobacconists, Saratoga Springs, NY
Saratoga Springs drips history, and being home to the oldest horse racetrack in the country (since 1863) is only part of the story. It’s also the site of America’s first hot springs wellness retreat, a place where you’ll find one of the nation’s best and oldest outdoor music venues, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and also the site of a decisive victory over the British that was the major turning point in the Revolutionary War. Heck, it’s even the birthplace of the potato chip. With a near-perfect location in an 1866 bank building on a prime corner in the heart of the town’s charming main street you’ll find James & Sons Tobacconists. Its original and ornate front door is such a showpiece that tourists regularly stop to take pictures, and inside you can find the original vault door. A couple of tables are arranged on the sidewalk outside and it’s not unusual to see patrons smoking there at all hours, but especially after a race or in the evening hours after dinner in one of the many nearby restaurants.
As the official cigar partner of the New York Racing Association, James & Sons runs a gazebo retail pavilion inside the track on every day there is a race, and take a custom tent to the state’s Triple Crown race, the Belmont Stakes, every year. As the track is one of the few such large public facilities that openly endorses cigar smoking, it’s always busy, and for big races such as the Travers Stakes and Belmont they sell several thousand cigars a day. “It’s sort of a rite of passage,” said owner James Kommer. “If someone smokes only one cigar a year, it’s usually at the races, and it’s not uncommon for us to have a line five wide and 20 deep all day long.”
Race season runs just two months, but Saratoga is very much a year-round community, and the Broadway location is popular with both tourists and a strong local clientele. Saratoga Springs concerts draw the biggest touring acts in music from April to October, and the outdoor venue also has an inside smoker-friendly area, so many music lovers make this their first stop. Kommer added two private lounge rooms above the shop, one with a British theme and the other Cuban, with a separate key card entrance for 24-hour member access. With a bargain fee of $55 a month—including locker—it’s not uncommon for short term visitors to take a month’s membership to use during their stay. Since state law prohibits sale of alcohol, both the club and the public areas are BYOB.
Near the entrance you'll find a front sitting area with a few leather chairs, and a large custom mural of the shop’s mascot, an English bulldog with a monocle and top hat smoking a cigar (his statue is farther down inside the shop). On the right is the main counter and register, its glass cases filled with cutters and lighters. A narrow deep hallway down the left is lined with high top tables and ashtrays, and the large walk-in humidor and old bank vault are along this hall on the right. In back is a larger public lounge area with comfortable seating and a flatscreen TV for sports. Many of the original details such as the marble floor and pressed tin ceiling have been maintained, but it’s got a comfortable rather than stodgy feel. It’s a place where locals and visitors routinely strike up conversations.
The humidor is large and uncrowded. Instead of lining its shelves with boxes, James & Sons has custom divided trays of Spanish cedar, each with a shelf sign detailing country of origin, wrapper, strength, and a description of the flavor profile. There are about 300 labels here including the usual big names such Ashton, Davidoff, Fuente, and Padrón, but the perennial bestsellers are their custom J&S cigars made in Nicaragua, which frequently sell out during busy times. These come in ten sizes and strengths and most retail for around $14 apiece. The selection generally runs to the more affordable, including boutique brands such as Crowned Heads Moonflower Corona Gorda ($17). The priciest are all under 50 bucks, such as a (Padrón 1926 No. 1 ($45) and the Davidoff Yamasa Toro ($38).
The shop has been serving Saratoga for 20 years. This year, Kommer’s sons opened a new satellite location under the same name in Cape Coral, on Florida’s west coast.
James & Sons Tobacconists
360 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-581-7274
jamesandsonstobacco.com
Monday-Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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