In late 2024, QUI Tequila partnered with celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa and KAWS to create a luxury tequila release where the bottle itself became the canvas. Available in red (New York), grey (Hong Kong), and blue (Art Basel Miami) variants—each limited to 1,650 bottles—the design featured stylized “NOBU” lettering reimagined with KAWS’ signature X-eyes and cartoon gloves.

The Bottle Series (2024)
Crafted from additive-free tequila distilled from a 1999 harvest, each colorway retailed around $1,000 and was tied to its respective launch city. A 300-piece collector’s set containing all three bottles was offered at $3,000, while an ultra-rare “Red” magnum edition was produced in only 50 units. The packaging fused Nobu’s culinary prestige with KAWS’ pop-art clarity, creating an object that appealed equally to collectors of fine spirits and contemporary art. (1, 3)

Launch & Cultural Buzz
The project debuted with VIP launch events, including a high-profile gathering in New York attended by Nobu, KAWS, and fellow artist Futura. Social media lit up with images of the bottles and tasting notes on the tequila’s smooth profile, underscoring how the collab successfully merged luxury branding, art culture, and experiential marketing. (2)

Why It Matters
This release is a case study in high-end product design as art, showing how an everyday object—in this case a spirits bottle—can be transformed into a collectible that retains both function and narrative. By linking Nobu’s brand, QUI’s heritage tequila, and KAWS’ instantly recognizable design language, the collaboration resonated across culinary, luxury, and art worlds.