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On Friday, the 571 Main St. bar will reopen its patio for Blues, Brews & BBQ. The event will mark the debut of its new outdoor bar, The Cockpit, as well as the release of its first house beer, Altitude Adjustment, made by Syracuse's Talking Cursive Brewing Co. There will also be music by Syracuse blues band Los Blancos at 6:30 p.m., and Sodus food truck Saltbox Smokehouse BBQ will be on site.

The event is free and dogs will be permitted on the covered patio, which was built in September. The names of the new bar there and the beer follow Stick and Rudder's nautical and aviation themes. 

The bar's logo of a ship's wheel circling a Corsair plane was inspired by life on the lakes of Cayuga County — and owner John Gadjo's more than 20 years as a Marine Corps pilot. Though now retired, he continues to fly with NetJets while at the helm of the bar with his life partner, Margaret Madigan. Similarly, the can for Altitude Adjustment, a lager, shows a wide-grinning pilot with a cigar in his teeth.

"It's cool for people who collect cans," Gadjo told Â鶹ÊÓƵ. "Maybe we'll do something else by the end of the year."

The easy-drinking local beer joins 10 lines on tap and several more craft and domestic bottles available at the bar. There are also cocktail specials, and any can be concocted upon request. May's menu includes a paloma Aperol spritz made with tequila, Aperol, grapefruit and lime juices, and prosecco. The strawberry mint julep boasts Buffalo Trace bourbon, mint, strawberries and simple syrup.

Gadjo complimented Madigan’s daughters for using their beverage insight to keep the bar's menu fresh and on top of trends.

'Our own identity'

Gadjo wasn't planning on opening a bar when he bought the two-story Fair Haven building where Stick and Rudder now stands.

He bought it, and the neighboring building with Main Street Emporium, as an investment property due to its upstairs apartment in 2019.

But Gadjo also wanted the downstairs to become something that benefits the community. He and Madigan decided on making it a gathering space where people could enjoy something different every night — food, live music and entertainment, like the new open mic nights on Mondays and music bingo on Thursdays. 

"We wanted to have our own identity," he said. "A place where people could come and hang out ... and tell stories."

Gadjo isn't short on his own stories, having served in the first Gulf War, the Somali Civil War and the Afghanistan War. Those stories are told on the walls of Stick and Rudder through photos and artifacts, some on loan indefinitely from a friend. On the back wall is a memorial with framed pictures of family, friends and locals, all veterans. 

"It pays homage to those who served with me and those who didn't make it back," Gadjo said.

He wants the memorial to grow, and encourages others to bring in photos with names, service histories and short bios written on the backs.

Also making the Fair Haven bar a place of conversation are pieces like the boat stern bearing the bar's name, airplane parts on display and the custom floor-to-ceiling bar designed by friend Jeff Walrath.

“We’re an everybody bar,â€� manager Trevor Jubran told Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

The North Syracuse native has enjoyed working at Stick and Rudder, taking on varying roles over the last few years.

He called Fair Haven a “different kind of town,� a place where everyone knows each other and is welcoming to new faces.

"It's like an episode of ‘Cheers,’� Jubran said. "You never see a sad face.�