Wine or grape juice is the preferred beverage for havdala, but any common beverage (chamar medina) that is drunk for social reasons is acceptable.

For Jewish festival havdala, use only wine (or a substitute, chamar medina, beverage); NO candle or spices (unless the Jewish festival also coincided with Shabbat).

Wine or grape juice is the preferred beverage for havdala, but you may use any common beverage (chamar medina) that is drunk for social reasons.

Havdala is said after Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.  Shabbat havdala is more extensive than after Yom Kippur and Jewish festivals. 

Shabbat havdala consists of:

1. Beverage: Wine, Grape Juice, or Chamar Medina
   Wine is always the preferred beverage for all havdalas because it is prestigious.
2. Spices
   The extra soul we are given on Shabbat leaves after Shabbat is over, so we sniff a pleasant odor to cover for that loss.
3. Flame  
   The Shabbat havdala flame commemorates that Adam HaRishon (the first man) created fire after the first Shabbat.

To fulfill the two requirements for Shabbat evening kiddush:

1. Say, or hear, the Shabbat evening kiddush blessings/segments:
   • Borei pri ha'gafen (on wine or grape juice only), OR
     Ha'motzi (on two challot if you have no wine or grape juice, as chamar medina is not permitted for Shabbat evening kiddush. See Challot for Evening Kiddush) AND
   • Mekadeish HaShabbat.
2. Establish a halachic “meal” (kovei'a se'uda) by either:
   • Drinking 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of wine (or grape juice) within 30 seconds, OR
   • Eating at least 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of bread or mezonot of any type (within 4 minutes) shortly after saying or hearing kiddush.

To fulfill the two requirements for Jewish festival evening kiddush:

1. Make Kiddush
   Say, or hear, the three Jewish festival evening kiddush blessings/segments:
   1. Borei pri ha'gafen (if on wine or grape juice—preferred option), OR
      Ha'motzi (on two challot if you have no wine or grape juice, since no chamar medina is allowed for Jewish festival evening kiddush; see Jewish Festivals: Kiddush: Challot for Kiddush) AND
   2. Asher bachar banu mi kol am.... mekadeish Yisrael v'hazmanim, AND
   3. She'hecheyanu on all Jewish festival nights, except the last two nights of Passover.  So say she'hecheyanu on:
      • Both nights of Rosh Hashana (in or outside of Eretz Yisrael),
      • First two nights of Passover (1 night in Eretz Yisrael),
      • Both nights of Shavuot (1 night in Eretz Yisrael),
      • First two nights of Sukkot (1 night in Eretz Yisrael), and
      • Nights of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (same day in Eretz Yisrael).
      Note There is never any requirement on an indvidual to drink kiddush wine (except at the Passover seder), but the kiddush wine must be drunk by one or more persons.
      Note A woman who had said she'hecheyanu when she lit the Jewish festival candles does NOT say she'hecheyanu again if she makes kiddush for herself, even when making kiddush at the Passover seder.
      Note There is no need to eat a new fruit after saying she'hecheyanu on the second night of  Shavuot, Passover, or Sukkot. This is not comparable to Rosh Hashana, since the second festival night was instituted due to uncertainty of the actual date of the holiday, while Rosh Hashana is considered to be one single, long day.
2. Establish a halachic “meal” (kovei'a se'uda).
   For how to establish a halachic meal, see Introduction to Jewish Festival “Eating a Meal” Requirements.

To fulfill the two requirements for Jewish festival daytime kiddush:

1. Say, or hear, at least #b and #c of these Jewish festival daytime kiddush blessings/segments:
   a) Eileh mo'adei Adonai mikra'ei kodesh asher tikri'u otam b'mo'adam.
   Note It is not a universal custom to say the above sentence.
   b) Va'yidaber Moshe eht mo'adei Adonai el bnei yisrael.
   Note It IS a universal custom to say the above sentence. AND
   c) Borei pri ha'gafen (if on wine or grape juice), OR
   She'hakol nihiyeh bi'dvaro (if on other beverage/chamar medina).
   Note For Jewish festival (or Saturday) lunch and havdala, you may use any beverage (chamar medina) commonly drunk for social purposes (not just for thirst) in the country in which you are saying kiddush (say the blessing she'hakol instead of borei pri ha'gafen where appropriate).
   Note There is never any requirement on an indvidual to drink kiddush wine (except at the Passover seder), but the kiddush wine must be drunk by one or more persons.
2. Establish a halachic “meal” (kovei'a se'uda).
   You must establish the halachic meal required for kiddush shortly after hearing Jewish festival morning kiddush. See How To Fulfill Eating Jewish Festival Second Meal.
   
   Note If you make Jewish festival morning kiddush on any beverage except wine or grape juice, you must also eat mezonot or bread to establish the kiddush meal. If you do not want to eat bread or mezonot, only drinking 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of wine or grape juice within 30 seconds will fulfill all of the requirements for kiddush.  If you have not fulfilled the requirements for kiddush, you may not eat other foods, such as fruit or fish at a kiddush.

There are two requirements for Shabbat daytime kiddush: Say or Hear Kiddush Segments/Blessings and Establish a Halachic Meal (kovei'a se'uda):
 
1. Say or Hear Kiddush Segments/Blessings
    You must say, or hear, the Shabbat daytime kiddush segments/blessings and someone
     must drink at least 2 fl. oz. (59 ml) of the kiddush beverage:

• Say or Hear Kiddush Segments/Blessings
  • Torah segment(s): V'shamru bnei Yisrael (even beginning from al kein).
  • Blessing over at least 3.3 fl. oz. (99ml) of drink:
    • Borei pri ha'gafen (if on wine or grape juice), OR
    • She'hakol nihiyeh bi'dvaro (if on other beverage/chamar medina).

• Drink at Least 2 fl. oz. (59 ml) of the Kiddush Drink

 
2. Establish Halachic Meal (Kovei'a Se'uda)
    You must establish a halachic meal (kovei'a se'uda) shortly after saying or hearing
    Shabbat morning kiddush by either:

• Drinking Wine--at least 4 fl. oz (119 ml) of wine (or grape juice) within 30 seconds, OR
• Eating Bread/Mezonot--at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of bread or mezonot within four minutes.

Note The second half of making kiddush, “establishing a meal” (kovei'a se'uda), can be fulfilled simultaneously when you fulfill the subsequent, separate Shabbat requirement for “eating a meal” but in that case, you must eat 1.9 fl. oz. of bread.
Note If you make, or hear, Shabbat morning kiddush on any beverage except wine or grape juice, you must also eat at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of bread or mezonot within four minutes to establish the kiddush meal. If you do not want to eat bread or mezonot, only drinking at least 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of wine (or grape juice) within 30 seconds will fulfill all the kiddush requirements. 
Note If you have not fulfilled the kiddush requirements, you may not eat other foods, such as fruit or fish at a kiddush.
Note   Once you have heard kiddush and either eaten the required bread or mezonot or drunk the required 4 fl. oz. of wine or grape juice, you do not need to say or listen to kiddush again if you eat your actual meal later (except if you need to say kiddush for other people who have not yet heard or said kiddush).