RYAN Leslie delights in telling the story of the little

old woman who walked into a country bottle shop

and asked for an ‘‘effen beer’’.

By all accounts, the look on the shopkeeper’s

face was worth bottling.

It’s just the kind of folklore Leslie, an engineer

by trade, hoped would surround his new brew

when he dreamed up the name for his triplemalted

Premium lager.

To the Traralgon-based Leslie and fellow

effen director Wayne Hough, effen is more

than just a quirky moniker for a new beer.

It’s a lifestyle brand of which beer is the first

cab off the rank, ahead of a range of products

that will eventually include everything from

T-shirts to spirits.

Effen lager has been created with the help

of award-winning brewer John Greenwood,

of Yarragon Ale House fame.

Produced under licence at Southern

Bay Brewery in Geelong, effen is a fullstrength,

naturally brewed, 4.6 per cent

lager designed, in Leslie’s own words, as

a non-threatening, easy-drinking brew.

By this benchmark, it’s a resounding

success.

A great quaffing beer, perfect for a

long session at the bar or standing around

a barbecue, it includes a trio of

Australian malts and New Zealand hops

(Leslie refuses to divulge which ones)

that are designed to give it a bit of body

and character without making things

too complicated.

With a clean and refreshing finish,

bland effen certainly is not.

‘‘It’s perhaps the smoothest malt lager on the

market,’’ Greenwood says.

Hough says when it came to creating the right

style of beer, the creators of effen looked to

Australians for inspiration.

‘‘We’ve taken Australian culture and

bottled it,’’ he says.

‘‘Like Aussies, effen premium lager’s got a

lot of character, is well balanced and easy

going.’’

While the idea behind effen had been

kicking around Leslie’s mind for 13 years, it

was only after being introduced to brewer

Greenwood a couple of years ago that

things began to get serious.

In a boutique beer market dominated by

ales, the pair decided to create an

Australian-style lager.

‘‘We really wanted to produce a trans-

Tasman beer. An easy-drinking, smooth

lager that wouldn’t offend anybody,’’

Leslie says.

While it is all about the taste, Leslie

says the name of his new beer has

already started to kick goals.

‘‘The name captures a lot of attention

and helps it stand out,’’ he says.

‘‘We have found the name helps

(encourage) people who don’t normally

buy beer to do so.’’

Leslie says there are plans for several

more beer styles this year under the

effen brand, along with an as-yet

undisclosed spirit.

www.effen.com.au

GREG THOM