I need to cut back but do not want to lose a close and great friend.
Any thoughts?
If you have been open and honest with him about you having a drinking problem then I would be looking at how great a friend he really is. To me this is equal to a "Good Friend" giving peanuts in a cookie to a friend who is severely allergic to them.
I had drinking friends for years and years and the only thing I could ever count on them for was to help me drink.
Since I quit I have started to find Real friends inside and out side of AA that care about me.