What is Chamar Medina and what is the Sephardic view?
- Chamar Medina includes beer or cognac and does not include soda, lemonade, or water. Sephardim hold that coffee, tea, orange juice can not be used as chamar medina. Chamar medina is still very relevant today.
- One may not use soda because soda isn't considered Chamar Medina
We find that O.C. 296:2 writes that one may make Havdalah on beer if and only if it is Chamar Medina. Birkei Yosef 296:3 clarifies that the Shulchan Aruch's language of "or other drinks" didn't mean to include milk and oil, but rather he meant other types of Chamar Medina and exclude water even if the people of the town only drink water. Sh"t Igrot Moshe brings down that since soda is just like water, it isn't Chamar Medina, and thus, can not be used for Havdalah.
Halachot Ketanot 1:9 writes that Chamar Medina must contain alcohol this would mean that coffee is not Chamar Medina. I am not sure if one adds alcohol to coffee as they add Sumbuca to coffee in Italy if this would suffice as Chamar Medina (consult with a local posek for cases like these).
Yalkut Yosef 296:8 writes that one may not use coffee, tea, orange juice, or soda for Havdalah, but one if there's no wine in the city, one may use beer or cognac which are considered Chamar Medina; Chazon Ovadia, Hilchot Shabbat, Chelek 2, Page 408 clearly specifies that coffee, tea, milk, and fruit juice are not considered chamar medina, and therefore one may not make havdalah with them.
Conclusion: In our modern day while many drink may be available and accepted drinks during meals one should be careful in follow the majority authority to use wine.