Drinking should be discussed before hand with the prescribing doctor. Depakote does make some people drowsy, and can cause some liver problems relatively quickly. It's best to discuss this before with the doctor.
You should not drink alcohol while taking Depakote, whether you have bipolar or not is not an issue. It's a matter of the medication not the illness.
Answer
I take the 500mg depakote twice a day for epilepsy and know my limits. Depakote can easily make you drowsy and tired so whenever I decide to have alcohol I only have 1 or 2 light beers such as Bud Light, Coors Light, or Miller Light. Plus, I only drink once or twice a month. When I went to a dinner years ago a buddy decided to treat me to a beer. I decided to have a bottle of Heineken but pretty soon I started getting dizzy and tired.