I bear witness regarding Sufyan that I asked him, or he was asked, about nabidh, and he said, "Eat dates and drink water. It will become nabidh in your stomach."
حدثنا يحيى قال سمعت
أشهد على سفيان أني سألته أو سئل عن النبيذ فقال كل تمرا واشرب ماء يصير في بطنك نبيذا
No references are available.
This isnad is sahih, and perhaps Sufyan Thawri said this before he retracted it. Malik's statement is the more correct one.