This weekend, we had the chance to celebrate a very special collaboration: the new 2025 NOBU Rare launch combines three art forms: visual, culinary, and beverage.
QUI Tequila, an award-winning tequila brand, has collaborated with world-renowned restaurant group Nobu to develop this exclusive bottle of tequila, in celebration of NOBU’s 30th anniversary. The eye-catching graphic that paints the face of every bottle was designed by the artist KAWS, whose instantly recognizable work has been featured in MoMA, Fortnite, Uniqlo, and more.
NOBU Downtown hosted a celebration event for the launch of the 25-year-old tequila, where Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), and Medhat Ibrahim (founder of QUI Tequila) all gathered and thanked the crowd for attending. This isn’t the first partnership between these artists – NOBU has served QUI Tequila on their menu for years, and they collaborated on the first NOBU Rare Bottle back in 2023. This bottle is special since it’s the newest edition, but what sets it apart is the custom graphic on each bottle by KAWS, available in 3 colors.
Medhat Ibrahim, Brian Donnelly, Nobu Matsuhisa
The bar room at NOBU Downtown was the perfect backdrop for the event: the gold-trimmed chandeliers and seating complimented the ambery hue of the 25-year-old tequila. Specialty cocktails were created with it: A lychee tequila-tini, a passion fruit margarita, and an espresso tequila-tini.
All were marvelous – the smooth and luxe quality of the liquor shone through.
A special toast was given and each guest got to try a small pour of the tequila neat, without any additives or flavorings.
In addition to the celebratory drinks, bites from NOBU’s kitchen were brought around the room. We enjoyed some of Nobu’s most beloved and iconic dishes, such as the Rock Shrimp Tempura, and exclusive specials like mini NOBU tacos. Some of our favorites were the shrimp tempura, the teriyaki wagyu skewers, and the strawberry cheesecake dessert. Everything was deliciously divine, which you can count on NOBU to deliver, including an assortment of Maki that guests descended upon with delight.
This evening’s celebrations were the perfect way to welcome QUI Tequila and NOBU’s most recent creation into the fold. Get your hands on a bottle here, and book a reservation at NOBU to sample the tasty treats passed around at the event!
Michele Hicks, Greg Calejo, Carole Radziwill, Jared Lafrenais
