If Jason Ellefson, general manager at Beer Park at Paris, looks familiar, that’s because you might have seen him on shows like Melrose Place. The Seattle native moved to L.A. to attend USC and pursue acting, and he also worked in hospitality. With the writers’ strike and a sinking economy, acting took a back seat. However, his hospitality career soared—he rapidly climbed the ladder, stepping into barback, bartender, lead bartender and corporate trainer roles—and then management. “It was a pivotal moment for me to stop acting,” he said. “I still had passion and love for acting, but it became too inconsistent.”
So, he let his talents in hospitality shine. The decision to move to Las Vegas a few years ago was an easy one. “Someone said something to me that made an impression when I was getting into management. They said, ‘If you’re ever gonna be a stockbroker on Wall Street, why wouldn’t you live in New York?’ If you’re gonna be in hospitality and you’re gonna play with the big boys, you have to be in Vegas.”
When Ellefson heard that Beer Park was opening, he jumped at the chance. “I got in on the ground floor. I knew I wanted to manage this type of place,” he said. “You know when you’re hosting a really great party in your backyard, and you have your friends and neighbors over? That’s the kind of experience we want people to have when they come to Beer Park. And me and my staff, we love working here, and that vibe trickles down to the guests.”
Super Bowl Shandy
It certainly lives up to its name; Beer Park offers more than 100 different beers on tap and bottled (and wine and cocktails on tap, too!), and even beer cocktails like the Super Bowl Shandy. The refreshing cocktail mixes together Shock Top beer, Skyy Blood Orange vodka, Aperol and fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juices. Once you order your drink of choice, hang at a picnic table on the grass or kick back on lounge chairs while enjoying a game of life-size Jenga, or a round of Cards Against Humanity. You can also order eats from the outdoor grill, smoke pit or roaming concession-style carts.
