it's not something to be joked about And there is your problem. You think others must be 'joking' when they call someone an alcoholic while that person isn't o

it's not something to be joked about And there is your problem. You think others must be 'joking' when they call someone an alcoholic while that person isn't obviously destroying his life. You are wrong. News flash: the fact that you know worse cases doesn't mean the less severe cases aren't bad and it doesn't mean that people calling out those cases are joking. Grandparent was saying Jim Koch is drinking in a way that has severe negative consequences for his long-term health. There are a whole lot of people that are indeed functioning alcoholics: they don't drink themselves into a stupor, but they are constantly buzzed, which has long-term health consequences and impacts their effective personality and behavior in (usually) a bad way.