Towcester tap room celebrates five years at the heart of the community
Have I Got Brews For You in Towcester is raising a glass this month as the popular craft beer tap room celebrates its fifth birthday.
What began in 2021, in the aftermath of the pandemic, as a specialist craft beer shop has evolved into one of the town's best-loved social venues, creating not just a destination for beer enthusiasts but a genuine community hub.
Founded and run by husband-and-wife team Andy and Cassie, the business has grown from its original retail concept into a thriving micro pub offering an extensive range of craft beers alongside gins, rums, spirits, wines and prosecco, ensuring there is something to suit every taste.
Over the past five years, Have I Got Brews For You has established itself as far more than just a place to enjoy a drink. Regulars say the venue has become a focal point for the community, where friendships have flourished and life's milestones have been shared and celebrated.
Customers have gathered there for birthdays, weddings, births and anniversaries, while the bar has also become a popular meeting place during festive occasions such as Christmas and Easter, as well as local events including Towcester's annual Midsummer Music Festival.
The success of the Towcester venue led the couple to expand in 2023, opening a second bar in nearby Stony Stratford. The venture has gone from strength to strength and was recognised last autumn when it was named Milton Keynes Bar of the Year 2025.
Much of the business's success has been attributed to Andy's passion for discovering and sourcing exceptional beers from across the UK and around the world. Supported by Cassie and the wider team, that enthusiasm has helped create a constantly changing selection of beers available both on tap and on the shelves to drink in or take away.
Visitors have praised not only the quality and variety of the drinks but also the welcoming atmosphere that has become synonymous with the brand.
Among them is Dale from The Great British Bar Crawl, who described the venue as something special.
"You can tell every beer is bought with a reason and a customer in mind already that they just know is going to love it," he said. "I wouldn't so much call this a bar, but a family."
A glowing reflection of the atmosphere can also be found on the walls of both venues, where a neon sign proudly declares: "This Is Our Happy Place." According to many of the people who pass through the doors, the slogan could not be more fitting.
Conversations with customers, countless online reviews and even praise from publications including the New Statesman highlight the same theme: Have I Got Brews For You is valued as much for its sense of belonging as it is for its drinks selection. For many, it is a place to relax, reconnect and feel at home among friends.
Reflecting on the milestone anniversary, owner Andy said the business had developed beyond anything he and Cassie originally imagined.
"Our aim was to bring phenomenal beers to Towcester, but what has evolved is a place in which people come to gather, share stories, events and life's ups and downs," he said. "Most of all, we are a place that prides itself on welcoming all."
That spirit of inclusion is perhaps best captured by a well-known quote displayed on the venue's toilet wall, taken from the classic American sitcom Cheers:
"Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came."
Five years on from opening its doors, Have I Got Brews For You appears to have achieved exactly that – creating not just a successful independent business, but a welcoming space where community comes first and where, for many customers, it truly has become their happy place.