How Beer Became Acceptable for Havdallah

The Rabbis taught:

One does not sanctify upon beer.

From Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon's name, they said: "Sanctify."

Levi sent Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi a beer of thirteen soakings.

He tasted it and it was especially pleasant. He said: "Like this is fit to sanctify upon and to say upon it all the songs and praises in the world."

At night, it caused him pain.

He said: "It pains and soothes."

Rav Huna asked of Rav Ḥisda: "What about sanctifying over beer?"

He said: "Now, if barley beer, fig beer, berry beer, I had asked of Rav, and Rav had asked of Rabbi Ḥiyya, and Rabbi Ḥiyya had asked of Rabbi and he did not he did not resolve it for him, [date] beer is a question."

Rav Ḥisda said to them: "This is what Rav said: 'Just as one does not sanctify upon it, thus one does not separate upon it.'"

It was also stated: Rav Taḥlifa, son of Avimi said: "Shmuel said: 'Just as one does not sanctify upon it, one does not separate upon it.'"

Rav Yosef said: "I will take a vow in public that I will not drink beer."

Rava said: "I would drink soaking-water and not drink beer."

And Rava said: "One whose drink is beer, is one who sanctifies over beer."

Rav Huna found Rav sanctifying over beer. He said to him: "Father has begun to acquire coins with beer."

Mar Yanuka and Mar Kashisha, sons of Rav Ḥisda, said to Rav Ashi: "Once Ameimar happened to our place and we did not have wine for havdalah. We brought him beer and he did not separate, and he passed the night fasting. The next day, we exerted ourselves and brought him wine, and he separated and tasted some. The next year, he again happened to our place. We did not have wine, we brought beer. He said: 'If so, it is the wine of the country.' He separated and tasted some.'"

Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: They made the beer storages in Babylonia like wine storages in the land of Israel with a place of supplying.

Rav Pappa said: "One who is able to drink beer, but drinks wine violates the prohibition against wanton destruction."

But this isn't a thing, as one's body takes precedence over destruction.

Rav Pappa said: "If I were not a beer manufacturer I would not have become wealthy."

Some say Rav Ḥisda said: "If I were not a beer manufacturer, I would not have become wealthy."

It was asked of them: What about putting beer within a barrel that had previously had gentile wine?

Rav Naḥman and Rav Yehuda prohibited, and Rava permitted. Ravina permitted Rav Ḥiyya, son of Rav Yitzḥak, to pour beer into such a jug, but he went and poured wine into it instead. And even so, Ravina was not concerned over the matter, as he said: "It is merely an incidental occurrence."