uzi tenenbaum

1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz 2:1 Ginger Syrup (1/2 oz 1:1 Ginger Syrup + 1 tsp 1:1 Simple Syrup)
1/2 oz Zucca (Sfumato)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with soda water (2 oz), top with ice, and garnish with candied ginger (lemon twist).

Two Thursdays ago, I picked up Matt Teacher's The Spirit of Gin book that I read in early 2018 to see if there was a glossed over recipe. The one that called out to me was in the chapter on New York City's now defunct Gin Palace, and it was called the Uzi Tenenbaum. I surmised this one was from Frank Cisneros for it seemed like it was a companion piece to his rye-based Margot Tenenbaum published in Amanda Schuster's New York Cocktails. My research uncovered a Wall Street Journal article that put the creation of this gin-based drink tribute for a character in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums movie to around 2012.
The Uzi Tenenbaum greeted the senses with a lemon, dark herbal, and juniper aroma. Next, a carbonated lemon and toasty char sip switched over to a gin swallow with Sfumato's smoky bitter herbal notes blending into ginger's zingy flavors (which continued on into the finish).