I can relate to both of you; been there, done that. Bklyn, it may be helpful to assess the conversation that leads up to that comment. Because I've been there I assume that it's similar to the convos that my AH and I had. These were typically me trying to get him to see how much his drinking was affecting us, telling him to stop, asking why he does it, getting angry at him, threatening, begging, figuring out his problems etc. Then he'd finish with "I can never make you happy" etc etc.
My AH often told me he felt attacked, and comments like yours says serve to deflect him having to think or figure anything out. Just tell him the answer; he's defeated beneath all your words and just wants this conversation to finish!
If this sounds anything like your situation, then the most helpful thing is to assess your motives for the conversation before you open your mouth. If anything you say is meant to try and get him to see the light, or convince him of his issues or anything like that, it is better left unsaid because you are stepping into things that are not your mental and spiritual territory. Instead, focus that energy on you, and let him be and figure his own things out.
If he does anything because you tell him and not because he's come to it on his own; it will likely always be a bandaid solution. Even further and what happened to us, is that I'd tell him "what to do" and he might do it to get me off his back and then he just built resentment and then escaped by drinking.
So first, examine your motives before you speak, maybe it's a convo that doesn't really need to be had (and you deal with your desire to express in other ways like journaling, meditating, going to an Al Anon meeting), otherwise if a conversation still gets that way, simply bring it back to him with a gentle 'you do what is best for you' and leave it at that. The more he engages you to fix his problems with these statements; to me that is more reason to disengage with a neutral remark and not play in.
Phillypup, you haven't been put on this earth to babysit grownups. Besides that, grownups are quite resourceful and will figure out how to work around their obstacles to the things they really want, so in effect you are only hurting yourself. Your babysitting him is an illusion that you can control his drinking by being there. So then why bother - do what you want. If he drinks then you have the ability to choose not to be around him (either temporarily or permanently). But don't let that fear stop you from living your life, because this will build resentment in you and you will feel victimized by him, whereas it is your actions that put you there. Do you go to Al Anon? If not, it could be very helpful to deal with feelings of trying to control the uncontrollable in our lives.