earthgirl, your story sounds so much like mine! i thought my guy was just the most free-spirited, fun-loving man i'd ever met (and he still is/can be), but i thought he would grow out of the beer. it took a long time for me to realize the beer was a problem ... and just how much of a problem it was.
i haven't posted here much, and i've only been to one al-anon meeting (i cried the whole time!), but i'll watch for your posts to see how we're progressing!
big hugs, sweetie -- this is a great site and will help you lots.