It’s safe to say that Las Vegas is an amazing city; and Jason Stephens, director of beverage for MGM Grand, would have to agree. “Vegas had always intrigued me,” says the Tennessee native who was raised in Louisiana. “I had come out here several times on vacation and stayed at different properties. It was always so ‘wow!’ is the best way to put it. Seeing the massive resorts—I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of.”
So he made the move in 2011, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience—more than a dozen years’ worth—in the food and beverage industry, from bartending to management. He landed a job at MGM Grand as a bar porter manager and worked his way up the ladder into positions like assistant beverage director, director of food and beverage operations, director of restaurants, spending a few years at sister property New York-New York and, most recently, moving back to MGM Grand.
During Stephens’ tenure with the company he was a part of the team that helped launch T-Mobile Arena and The Park. “I was never a hockey fan—until I went to a Knights game!” he said. Stephens also helped launch Whiskey Down at MGM Grand in 2014.
It’s his job to oversee all the beverage programs for the property, including casino bars, lounges, showrooms, pools, sportsbook and the nearby Mansion. “The beverage industry—there’s always something new, it’s always changing,” he says. “I find it very interesting, the new trends. I wouldn’t call it research because it’s something that I enjoy doing. It’s taking what’s new and innovative around the country and world and then taking what we do here and finding new and innovative ways to present it.”
In other words, Stephens has now become a part of that continuing Vegas legacy—creating new and memorable “wow!” moments for guests.
Whiskey In The Jar
Fans of whiskey must put Whiskey Down on their Las Vegas to-do list. Peruse a menu packed with more than 50 whiskey selections, flights, barrel-aged cocktails, rare finds, and handcrafted cocktails like the Whiskey in the Jar . The cocktail, so popular that’s it’s stayed on the menu since day one, is a blend of mint-infused Old Forester bourbon made in-house, fresh watermelon juice, also made in-house, lime juice and ginger beer. Even for those who aren’t fans of the brown spirit, this cocktail is a must-try.
Benefit
Try the secret-menu cocktail The Boulevardier, barrel-aged in-house for more than 60 days.
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