Blessing on Beverages during a Meal
During a meal containing bread, no brachah is required when drinking water or other beverages?with the exception of wine. Wine is unique because of its chashivus, significance and importance, since we require wine for Kiddush, Havdalah, and other mitzvos involving wine. However, if a person drank wine before washing for bread they do not have to make another brachah on the wine they drink during the meal. If, however, they were not planning to have wine during the meal and then changed their mind, then a new brachah should be said. If a person drank wine in one room before the meal, and then went into another room, or even if they continued drinking in the same room but left the room in the interim, they might have to make another brachah, depending on circumstances. This halachah is particularly relevant when wine is served at the beginning of an event after which the guests wash for the dinner, which often takes place in another ballroom. In countries where other alcoholic beverages, such as vodka, whiskey, etc., are commonly served during a meal, as is customary nowadays in many places, no brachah is needed for those beverages if one had washed for bread, as those drinks are covered by the brachah hamotzie.