Hellbent Cocktails makes its official debut today.
The high-ABV, ready-to-drink canned cocktail line — billed as “built for geek culture and great times” — comes from longtime friends and business partners Seth Green and Matt Senreich, co-creators of the long-running animated series Robot Chicken, alongside brand builder PJ Loughran.
The series’ influence runs deep here: Hellbent originated as a Robot Chicken sketch concept. Green and Senreich were developing a mock commercial for a werewolf-themed “harder” seltzer that never made it to air, but the idea proved too compelling to abandon. They enlisted Loughran, founder of Chicago-based branding and product incubation agency Quartermaster, to explore turning it into a real retail brand.
“Hellbent started as a joke, but the more we thought about it, the more we realized there was a real opportunity,” said Green, a veteran actor known for Family Guy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and more. “We wanted to make something that tasted like an actual cocktail, had some real horsepower behind it, and looked like nothing else on the shelf. And obviously, we wanted monsters.”
Senreich added: “There are a lot of beautiful cans out there. We wanted to make cans that looked like they were about to jump off the shelf.”
Courtesy of Hellbent Cocktails
Blended and canned in Missouri, Hellbent launches with three offerings: Dirty Shirley (vodka-based with sweet cherry and bright citrus), Spicy Rita (tequila-based with lime, cucumber, and jalapeño), and Corpse Reviver (gin-based with lemon, botanicals, and an herbal finish). The cocktails use real sugar and contain no high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, or “skinny” labeling. Additional flavors are reportedly in development.
Each can features a comic book-style classic movie monster: Dirty Shirley takes the form of Medusa, Spicy Rita becomes a Succubus, and Corpse Reviver appears as a zombie. “Hellbent is a cast of characters, not just a drink,” said Loughran. “The cocktails, the packaging, and the experiences will invite fans into the world we’re creating — bold, weird, fun, and built to bring the party back from the dead.”
Today’s launch precedes Green’s appearance Tuesday on E!/Versant’s new reality competition series Cocktail Wars, hosted by *NSYNC alums Lance Bass and Joey Fatone alongside Melissa Brooke.
Courtesy of Hellbent Cocktails
Courtesy of Hellbent Cocktails
Courtesy of Hellbent Cocktails