Alcohol was not good for my husband, even early on. I would notice that his behaviours would intensify. I had talked to his psychiatrist about options and he said that the de- alcoholized beer has a low enough alcohol content that it should be okay.
I talked to him and explained that I needed him to stop drinking. Of course he didn't like it but I said that I would do it with him and wouldn't drink alcohol either. I removed all alcohol from the house. I bought the alcohol free beer and if he wanted one he could. I made sure there were other drinks that he liked like ice tea, coffee, juice so that there was always something that he liked.
There were some challenging times but I was able to distract him at those time with going out to get a coffee, slurpee or milkshake. I even kept a stash of hidden special treats that I could whip out when needed.
He hasn't had alcohol in years. 8 0r more. And when he would complain that it wasn't the same I would say something like "Okay. I like it. I have no problem drinking it all by myself" He would usually stop and decide that it wasn't that bad.
I also talked to all our family and friends and said that there could be no alcohol brought into our house and not to buy him any. If there was alcohol somewhere we wouldn't go there. There was even a period of years where I wouldn't take him to a store because if he went into a store he couldn't stop himself from wanting everything he saw.
I also wasn't able to leave him alone. The behaviours, lack of impulse control, perseverative behaviours, lack of insight etc.... began early and were extreme. If he was alone then he would do things that weren't safe, appropriate or even legal.
Lisa