In the period leading up to the debut of FX’s Alien: Earth, the network initiated a comprehensive promotional strategy. FX presented associated products in collaboration with brands such as SoulCycle and Skullcandy headphones. On August 9, they launched “The Hunt,” a series of pop-up experiences where fans could investigate containment pods teeming with enigmatic alien life and participate in sweepstakes for rewards.

Nonetheless, the Alien: Earth offering that piqued my interest was the Alien-inspired burger and shake combination at Black Tap, available until August 24. How do you encapsulate the spirit of the Alien franchise within a burger or shake? Would a Chestburster spring forth from my body after consuming these delicacies? (And would you then refer to it as a… Chestburger?)

Since I’m still alive while composing this, days after indulging in both the burger and shake, the answer is thankfully no. Yet, even in the absence of the 4D Chestburster episode, the Alien: Earth burger was undoubtedly the wildest burger I’ve ever tasted.

The Alien: Earth burger’s components aren’t particularly outlandish. It includes a beef patty with pepper jack cheese, adorned with cilantro, charcoal aioli, and salsa verde. Crispy onion petals crown the toppings, curling from the buns like a Facehugger’s appendages around its host’s face. The blend was delightful, with the salsa verde adding a light zest to counterbalance the burger’s typical heaviness.

The real excitement commenced as I devoured the burger. Consuming a burger is frequently a humbling affair, as sauce and juices inevitably dribble down my hands. Napkins can assist only to a certain extent. At some juncture, you simply have to accept the mess. This is manageable when the sauce is something familiar, like ketchup or Thousand Island dressing. However, when confronted with neon green salsa verde and deep black aioli, the situation is startling.

I glanced at my hands, splattered in vivid green and black, resembling a blend of Xenomorph’s corrosive blood and the inky substance from Prometheus. It genuinely felt as if I had engaged in combat with a Xenomorph, and that represents about as close to Alien as you can achieve with a burger. The experience transcended mere flavor of the (yes, quite tasty) burger. It was also about the disorder, which provoked laughter as it escalated. Evidently, all one requires to fulfill their Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fantasy is a remarkably messy burger.

Meanwhile, the Mountain Dew-flavored milkshake was not to my liking. (I adore shakes, but I don’t favor the Dew.) The chocolate cake slice atop the shake was solid, however, and so dark that it invoked the pitch blackness of space, where no one can hear your cries.

The shake and cake combination delivered such a sugar high that by the time the burger arrived, I felt unstoppable, as though I could take down a Xenomorph on my own. After finishing the burger and smearing my hands and lips with black and green sauce, it certainly appeared as if I had.

Alien: Earth premieres on August 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.