Me personally, and most other alcoholics I've spoken to agree, have to abstain completely. If I have a few drinks then stop, the next time I feel safer so my guard goes down and it creeps back up.
I can't speak for anyone else, but alcoholism is a progressive condition. In my more healthy days when I was able to stop for long periods, as soon as I started having a nice, normal, healthy drink it would be the beginning of a downhill slide.
We go to great lengths to try to convince ourselves that we can drink just like everyone else. Alcoholics are either sober or drunk really. There isn't a lot in between.
But I have no idea if you are an alcoholic so this is only my own perspective. I wouldn't worry about what "qualifies" for recovery. If you are healthy and happy, that is all that matters.