Can hydroxyzine and beer be taken at the same, or does there have to be so many hours in between that they need to be separated?

Yes but: the sedating effects are additive. Thus if you take a hydroxyzine , you need to cut down the beer intake. The effects vary from person to person but count a cap of hydroxyzine as a large mug of beer. If you can only tolerate 2 mugs, then 1 mug would likely get you there. Be aware at the sedating effect of hydroxyzine may be as high as 2-3 mugs for some people.