No matter which beer you’re drinking, that’s mostly water in your glass — from 80-95 percent of the recipe depending on the style.

As such, the type and quality of water used makes a big difference in a beer’s flavor and mouthfeel. But the clear stuff’s starring role is also responsible for understanding beer’s past, as the drink of choice for seafaring explorers who needed hydration but couldn’t rely on spoiled water or stronger booze, and for learning lessons about the present, as California craft brewers eye conservation measures amid the state’s reservoir-depleting drought.

Beer expert Zachary Rosen will dive into these topics and more on August 16, when 11 brewing companies/collectives will converge to serve more than 20 beers alongside informative exhibits and quality food at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum during the three-hour Anchors & Ales event. It’s the latest in Rosen’s unending quest to present an educational yet entertaining forum for understanding ale, most recently witnessed during the eclectic Hoptopia event in June at the Carrillo Rec Center.

“For me, this isn’t a single event, but really an extension of my whole body of work,” said Rosen, lamenting that many beer and wine festivals have devolved into places where people get wasted rather than informed. “They’re absolute shit-shows with people getting sloppy drunk. They don’t care about the beer … except for which has the highest alcohol content.”