09/12/2026
BLESSING OF THE BREW THIS MONDAY
FRESNO, Calif. (September 11th, 2026) — St. George Greek Orthodox Church is proud to announce a Blessing ceremony for a specially crafted Greek draft beer from Sequoia Brewing. It will take place Monday, September 14th, 1:30 PM, at the brewery, located at 777 Olive St. in Fresno. Father Jim Pappas from Saint George Greek Orthodox Church will be on hand to do the ceremony.
“When Seqouia approached us about this brewing partnership, all I thought was “EUREKA”! (That’s Greek, for, ‘I Found It” - The California State Motto) effused Peter Vallis, Greek Festival Chairman.
Brewery Owner, Bill Avakian, tells the story of how it came to be: “I always felt like something was missing at the Fresno Greek Festival. On my last trip to Greece, it finally hit me: a great, locally brewed Greek beer. While traveling through the Greek islands, I had the opportunity to try fresh local beers alongside the larger commercial Greek brands. Each had its own character, but there was something about enjoying a crisp, refreshing beer in Greece that was different. When I returned home, I realized we didn't really have anything like it here in Fresno—or even much of California. I brought the idea back to Fresno and the Greek Festival board, and from there, an idea was born: Why not create our own Greek-inspired beer, brewed right here in Fresno specifically for the Greek Festival?
But I didn't want to make just any beer and call it Greek. So, naturally, more research was required—which meant another trip to Greece! I tried as many Greek beers as I could find, from commercial lagers to small local brews. After a lot of "research," I came home with a clear idea of the flavor I wanted to create. I described my plan to our Brewmaster, Andrew, and he took it from there, researching ingredients and finding Mediterranean hops that could help us capture the character we were looking for. After several trials and plenty of tasting, he nailed it!
The Festival will be pouring Ethos Lager, a crisp, clean, easy-drinking Greek-inspired lager-a little taste of the Greek islands, no matter which island your family comes from. But they didn't stop with the beer.
Bill continued, “During my travels, I also made a point of trying the different fruit juices and flavors popular throughout Greece, looking for something we could bring home and pair with our house seltzer. There was one clear winner: Sour Cherry. That became the inspiration for our Greek Sour Cherry Seltzer—bright, refreshing and inspired by a flavor you'll find throughout Greece.”
-more-
But wait, there’s more! The most unusual creation started right here with Fresno's Greek community: Fig leaf syrup. They combined the syrup with seltzer to create something they believe you won't find anywhere else— Fig Leaf Seltzer. The flavor is unique, aromatic and unmistakably Mediterranean.
“As we have built the Fresno Greek Fest into what it is today, nothing says “Special Summer in Greece” like the right tasting Fresh Lager - straight from the tap to a cold glass on a hot day. We are proud to offer this one-of-a-kind Beer, and her sister Hard Seltzers, along with our collection of Wines, Beers & Spirits from Greece,” concluded Vallis.
For more information about the Fresno Greek Festival, please go to www. FresnoGreekFest.com or contact the office at (559) 233-0397.
About St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Fresno, CA
St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Fresno, CA has a membership of approximately 250 families. Fresno’s
Greek community founded the Church in the 1920s, and welcomes all that wish to worship. Current membership
is comprised of 40% Greek-Americans with the remaining 60% consisting of Romanian, Lebanese, Armenian
and other ethnicities. A donation from the Greek Fest will go to The Poverello House. St. George Greek Orthodox Church is a 501(c) (3) within the umbrella of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco. 501(c) (3) # 36-4585276.
