Before we lived together, my EXAG would drink beer - 118lbs could do 12-15 in a day. Then she switched to wine. Then on to plastic bottle cheap rot-gut Vodka. She is a professional at work, would teach aerobics during lunch, start drinking at 6 when she got home, pass out, wake up at around 9:30pm, drink more until she fell asleep, then wake up and repeat the following day. And could still excel at work. So I can vouch for the progressive aspect.
What is odd is that she would never drink any liquor we had in the house. I am a fan of bourbon, and generally have a bottle. She will not touch it. For her, it is now Vodka only- and (starting in 2012) Nyquill.
I guess the point is that alcoholics come in all forms.
Every day, 16 oz in a sitting, I would consider to be alcoholic. Regarding physical addiction- for my EXAG, I did NOT believe there was ever a PHYSICAL addiction. I have always viewed it as a mental addiction. My view on this changed last week after her 5 day bender. The day after her shaking was pretty bad, which to me indicates a physical addiction/withdrawal. It only lasted a day, but it was not pretty.