In the Kitchen With: Kellie Thorn

Kellie Thorn is a busy gal. She’s an independent beverage consultant serving a range of clients in Birmingham and Atlanta (where she’s based), and advises on multiple facets of the beverage industry, including events. She’s a spirits educator. She’s co-chair, philanthropy and development committee for the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. She was chef Hugh Acheson’s bar director for more than a decade and still works with him on a hotel property. And as her many hats prove, she’s versatile too. She’s not unlike an oyster in that way.

In fact, this mutual characteristic is one of the reasons she loves oysters and oyster-eating culture. “You can go have them dressed up at fancy place with a glass of champagne, but it’s equally proper to be in jeans, standing outside around fire pit eating them with friends,” she says.

Kellie especially relishes eating oysters with family, and a specific family member at that. “My son Finnian eats oysters, and started to as soon as he was old enough that it was safe,” she says. “We would go to Kimball House happy hour when he was 4, and we would eat oysters together. Because I am in this wonderful industry, I’ve had so many opportunities to share these types of things with him, and that’s my favorite thing about oysters these days: sharing them with my son."

She also plays favorites with oysters. “I grew up mainly in the coastal South, so I love oysters and have since I was a kid. I am a high salinity girl. I love those small, East Coast oysters. I love Pelican’s Salty Birds and the Shiny Dimes oysters coming out of Florida, too” she says. “For a lot of them, I love the product, but it’s also about the people. Who they are — their story — plays into it.”

Kellie points to another oyster quality she loves and one oysters have in common with her beverage passion. “They are communal. We come together and share moments with them, like drinks,” she says. “I think that’s what makes them special.”

Photo by Angie Mosier

This is a photo of a lovely martini, but it's not a photo of the Transatlantic Drift. You'll have to make this drink yourself to see what it looks like!

Drink It In

We all know that oysters and cocktails are a great match, and Kellie — a pro — confirms it, so we asked for her thoughts on the perfect oyster-drink pairings. “I have a few things I like to imbibe while eating oysters,” she says. “A Manzanilla or Fino sherry, a glass of dry Champagne, and one of my most favorite pairings is a gin martini. Martinis are probably my favorite cocktail, and that includes the many riffs on the drink. Below is a recipe for a martini play.”

Transatlantic Drift

1.5 oz London Dry Gin (Ford's or Beefeater are good choices)

  • .5 oz Blanc Vermouth (La Quintinye or Dolin Blanc)

  • .5 oz Manzanilla Sherry (La Cigarrera works)

  • .25 oz Giffard Pineapple Liqueur

  • 1 light dash Scrappy's Celery Bitters

  • 6 drops Maldon Saline Solution (50 grams of Maldon salt dissolved into 200 grams of filtered water)

Combine all  ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain over a large cube in a chilled old-fashioned or rocks glass. Express a lemon peel over the top to release the oils from the skin. 

Garnish with the lemon peel.

Jennifer Kornegay