Have you and your parched, hops-and-yeast-deprived lips been waiting with bated breath to learn when Gastonia's first brewery might finally open?

Wait no longer, ye lover of craft beer.

"We finally have our grand opening date set for April 22," said Andrew Heath, manager of sales and distribution for Cavendish Brewing Co. "We're brewing nonstop every day to get those beers ready."

The business' grand opening party will kick off at noon Saturday and run until 10 p.m. Patrons will be able to sample some of the "Old World Beers" they've been hearing so much about in recent months, including little-known Belgian, German and British specialties that will serve as the brewery's calling card.

"I don't know if we're going to make them popular," owner Scott Cavendish said recently. "But we will at least make them known."

The event will be both family- and pet-friendly, with food trucks and musical entertainment on site.

Cavendish Brewing Co. is opening at 207 N. Chester St., in the former Craig Dodge building, where the historic Highland community flows into downtown Gastonia. It represents the culmination of a longtime goal for Cavendish, a mechanical engineer who has always harbored an affinity for quality craft beer. After years of planning, he finally set about applying his professional skills, monetary savings and passion to build a brewery from the ground up.

Though his business is based in Charlotte, Cavendish is staking a claim in Gastonia because of its untapped potential in the craft beer industry. His decision to invest more than $1 million buying and renovating the 67-year-old industrial building also inspired the city. Gastonia has recently made lighting and landscaping improvements to Chester Street to upgrade that corridor into downtown.

Cavendish plans to break the mold of the Charlotte region, where breweries featuring primarily blonde ales and pale ales have become the norm. He believes his focus on old world beers that have become largely ignored over time will give him a valuable niche.

With 16 total taps, the brewery will reserve five slots for its flagship beers, including a Belgian Blonde, an IPA, an IPL, a Robust Porter and a Dampfbier. The other 11 taps will be devoted to seasonal and experimental beers.

Boasting 170 barrels for fermenting, Cavendish Brewing will have the initial capacity to make 5,000 gallons of beer every two weeks, and will have ample space to expand.

The intimate, stocking-shaped bar has been handmade from cherry and mahogany wood, which was cut in Gastonia in the 1980s by the grandfather of one of Cavendish's employees. The wood was prepared at a local mill and then stored in a barn for some 30 years before now being donated to the brewery.

Elsewhere in the taproom, Edison bulbs have been installed along the ceiling, and picnic tables are being assembled for seating.

Heath said the entire Cavendish Brewing team is eagerly anticipating the grand opening.

"We can't wait," he said.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.