[Nanzikambe]

Bar hoppers are alcoholics in training, most countries don't have bars open 24/7 - and $100 buys a lot more alcohol from the off license or whatever.

I'm no doctor, but if a person is able to "exist" for half the day or more without their buzz, I'd suspect they've not yet built very any/much physical dependence.

[DanBC]

Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous.

In England you get a medically supervised withdrawal if you drink more than 40 units per day. Very roughly this is 32 US Fluid ounces of 80 proof liquor per day. (One litre of 40% spirits).

[mathattack]

Let's convert this to #s I understand...

80 proof = 40%. BigBeer (Budweiser) ~= 5% CraftBeer ~= 8% with some variation

So this means 16 pints (or ~21 12oz bottles) of Budweiser or 10 pints (should never be drunk in 12oz bottles) of Craft Brew a day. For a small person, that's almost enough to be perpetually buzzed.

I think the Drink Alone vs Bar Hopping is just a matter of being a functioning vs non-functioning alcoholic.