Just add water: Savor & Steep tea shop opens in downtown Washougal

Sonya Tuter has opened up her first brick-and-mortar store, Savor & Steep, a boutique store selling loose-leaf tea and tea accoutrements. Tuter, a former bus driver, waits to greet customers Sept. 23. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Former Evergreen School District bus driver Sonya Tuter just opened Savor & Steep, a high-end tea store on Main Street in downtown Washougal. The shop sells a huge variety of loose-leaf teas, spices, tea-drinking accessories and local artisan products. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Sonya Tuter pours a cup of tea at her first brick-and-mortar store, Savor & Steep, in Washougal Sept. 23. Customers can sample the featured tea or ask to taste another variety that piques their interest. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

A table in the window of new Washougal tea store Savor & Steep displays merchandise. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Sonya Tuter displays loose-leaf Earl Grey green tea at Savor & Steep tea shop in Washougal. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Savor & Steep tea shop, focused on loose-leaf teas and the art of tea-drinking, is centrally located on Washougal’s Main Street, as seen Sept. 23. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Ceramics by local artist Jessica Rose are seen on display Sept. 23 at Savor & Steep in Washougal. On the bottom shelf are succulent arrangements in teacups by Jamie Zilke. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)