Tea shops pour expertise with every cup

Pinkie-raising, notes tea etiquette expert Sue Springer, who teaches classes and workshops on the dos and don'ts of tea drinking, is overly formal and a bit stuffy.

Tea appeals to a broad demographic, adds Tricia Jay-James, owner of Everything Tea in Snohomish, where customers range from high-school students and bikers to young professionals and grandmothers.

And another thing:

Hold the cream and sugar — except when swilling black teas — as green and white teas, among others, are best appreciated in their pure state. "You lose the quality of the tea when you put stuff in it," said Jay-James.

Tea is no longer an indulgence reserved for special occasions. According to the Specialty Tea Institute, 2.2 billion gallons of tea are imbibed each year in the United States, making it one of the most consumed beverages in the nation.

Brewing a perfect pot

At Everything Tea, nestled among the antique shops of downtown Snohomish, Jay-James sells roughly 270 different loose teas. On display in clear glass jars that line an entire wall of the shop, the teas include black, green and white; oolong to English Breakfast; savory to sweet. The store also stocks several types of tea kettles, mugs and traditional and whimsical tea-serving sets.

When Jay-James opened Everything Tea in 2000, she did so, in part, out of necessity. "I wanted to get a tea pot for my mother, and I had such a hard time finding one," she said. "I thought you could find them and tea anywhere."

While picking the "right" tea for one's tastes can be overwhelming with so many options, Jay-James suggests people go with flavored teas if they lean toward sweetened drinks in general. These teas tend to be rich and redolent with fruit, vanilla or chocolate notes. Teas here, as at many shops, are sold by the ounce, which yields on average eight to 10 cups. At most shops, budget-minded customers can find several varieties for $2 to $4 an ounce.

"Tea is the last affordable luxury," Jay-James said.

Prepare it deliberately.

Hot tea is one thing, etiquette expert Springer said, but be careful not to scald it, especially green tea. She recommends a water temperature between 185 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit. And if you want sugar, add it before the lemon. Store loose and bagged tea in a dry, cool place in an airtight canister. With proper storage, loose tea will last up to a year.

Want to replace your daily coffee with tea?

Elisabeth Knottingham, owner of The Teacup in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood, recommends starting with a black tea.

"Drink it with cream and sugar, and don't feel bad about it," she said. "Find a good specialty tea shop and talk to people who drink tea."

A drink for all occasions

A self-described "voracious tea drinker," Knottingham began sipping tea as a young girl with her grandmother. For more than 10 years she was a customer of The Teacup before she bought the store in 2003. Like Everything Tea, it carries a large selection of loose teas — some 150 types — including organic and blended options.

Tea is more than a drink, she said. It's a lifestyle. "Tea is about slowing down," Knottingham said. "This is something people do for themselves because they want to, not because they have to."

The store's weekly tea tasting, led by longtime employee and tea aficionado Brett Boynton, brought Zach Fleury, of Poulsbo, to the store. The taste and healthful quality of tea bring him back.

"I first came in here to convert from coffee," he said. "I feel a lot better drinking tea."

There's lifestyle, and then there's ceremony.

The Queen Mary Tea Room near Seattle's University Village is a popular spot for what owner Mary Greengo calls the "three Bs" — birthdays and bridal and baby showers. A small but ornate tea room, it has a fantastical feel with its floral drapery, dainty serving trays in delicately painted motifs and table linens the color of buttercream.

Queen Mary opened 21 years ago, when Greengo wanted to provide a place where people of all ages could get high-quality tea and food in the traditional manner of English tea parties.

In addition to its selection of 80 house-blend loose teas, Queen Mary offers a range of pastries, and breakfast and lunch items all made from scratch. Greengo's 80-year-old mother Elizabeth bakes the tea room's many desserts, from the coconut and angel food cakes to chocolate pecan tarts. "I want people to feel warm and welcomed here, not stuffy," she said. "I want them to feel like they are coming into my home."

Tina Potterf is a freelancer living in Seattle.