Drinking alcohol during 9 days

Drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages is restricted during the Nine Days (the first nine days of Av) as part of the mourning practices observed before Tisha B'Av. The restriction applies specifically to wine and grape juice, with some authorities extending it to other alcoholic beverages, though there are important exceptions.

Key Takeaways

Wine and grape juice are restricted during the Nine Days as part of mourning for the destroyed Temple.
The restriction is a custom (minhag), not a biblical or rabbinic law, and its scope varies by community.
Wine for mitzvah purposes — such as Havdalah, Kiddush, or a seudat mitzvah — is generally permitted, with some nuances.
The restriction on wine during the Nine Days stands in deliberate contrast to Purim, when drinking wine is a positive obligation.
Some Ashkenazic communities have a stricter custom not to drink wine even at Havdalah, relying instead on a child to drink it.

The Source of the Restriction

The Shulchan Arukh (the authoritative code of Jewish law by Rabbi Yosef Karo) addresses mourning practices during this period:

"There are those who are accustomed not to eat meat and not to drink wine during this week [of Tisha B'Av], and there are those who add from Rosh Chodesh [Av] until the fast."

[Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 551:9-10]

This establishes that the restriction is a layered custom — different communities observe it for different lengths of time:

The week of Tisha B'Av — the minimum, observed by most
From Rosh Chodesh Av (the 1st of Av) — the more widely accepted Ashkenazic practice (the "Nine Days")
From the 17th of Tammuz — the strictest position, observed by some

Exceptions: When Wine Is Permitted

Shabbat

Wine is fully permitted on Shabbat during the Nine Days, since Shabbat overrides the mourning customs. Kiddush and Havdalah on Friday night and Shabbat day are observed normally.

Havdalah (Saturday Night)

This is where opinions diverge:

Sephardic custom: The one making Havdalah drinks the wine themselves — wine for a mitzvah is permitted.
Ashkenazic custom (Rema, Rabbi Moshe Isserles, in his gloss to Shulchan Arukh 551): It is customary not to drink the Havdalah wine oneself. Instead, a child who has reached the age of chinuch (educational awareness, typically 6-7) but has not yet reached bar/bat mitzvah age should drink it.

[Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 551:10, Rema]

Seudat Mitzvah (Festive Meal for a Mitzvah)

Wine is permitted at obligatory celebrations such as:

A brit milah (circumcision)
A pidyon haben (redemption of the firstborn)
A siyum (completion of a tractate of Talmud) — this is a major reason many make siyumim during the Nine Days to permit meat and wine at the meal

Why Wine Specifically?

Wine holds a unique dual role in Jewish tradition:

Wine as joy: The Psalmist writes — "וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְֽבַב־אֱנוֹשׁ" — "Wine gladdens the heart of man" [Psalms 104:15]. Because wine is the quintessential symbol of joy (simcha), it is restricted during this period of national mourning.

Wine as obligation on Purim: The Talmud states — "מִיחַיַּיב אִינִישׁ לְבַסּוֹמֵי בְּפוּרַיָּא עַד דְּלָא יָדַע" — "A person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he cannot distinguish between 'Cursed is Haman' and 'Blessed is Mordechai.'" [Megillah 7b]. The contrast is deliberate: on Purim we are required to drink; during the Nine Days we refrain from drinking, as expressions of the opposing emotions of joy and mourning.

What About Beer and Spirits?

The Shulchan Arukh mentions only wine explicitly. However:

Many Ashkenazic poskim (legal decisors) extend the restriction to beer and other intoxicating beverages, since the underlying reason is the restriction of joyful drinking.
Sephardic practice generally restricts only wine and grape juice, and permits beer.
The Mishnah Berurah (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan) notes that one should be stringent and avoid beer as well, though this is not the unanimous view.

Practical Summary

| Situation | Permitted? | |---|---| | Wine on Shabbat | ✅ Yes | | Wine at a seudat mitzvah / siyum | ✅ Yes | | Havdalah wine (Sephardic) | ✅ Yes | | Havdalah wine (Ashkenazic) | ⚠️ Give to a child | | Wine on weekdays (no mitzvah) | ❌ Restricted | | Beer (Sephardic) | ✅ Generally permitted | | Beer (Ashkenazic) | ⚠️ Many restrict |

For personal guidance on your specific community's customs, consult your local rabbi or posek.