Welcome Realm,
Yes most of alcoholics tried everything imaginable to control our drinking without success. Liquor to beer, beer to wine you name it we tried. I sure did. I also tried only drinking on weekends, no more than X drinks etc. It is all described very well in the alcoholics anonymous Big Book. There are specific parts that you can use to determine if you are truly alcoholic or not. The bad news is that if your alcoholic total abstinence is the only thing that works. Reducing and controlling drinking for an alcoholic is not a pleasant experience.
The only way for me to stop the insanity was to go to AA, get a Sponsor and work the steps. It's so nice to not have to drink now to feel OK.