I can only speak for myself, but what you call the 'beast' and other people the AV (which I think is about equivalent to what I experience as the genuine want for a drink...) for me it's kind of dormant. I certainly haven't struggled recently (been sober 8 years almost). But I get the impression it might well not be actually dead. If I found myself in the wrong situation at the wrong time, it would probably rear its ugly, ugly head again. If it did, I would struggle. I'd expect myself to kick it's arse, but it wouldn't be easy and it probably wouldn't be certain that I'd manage to beat it.
But to arrive at that situation would take a series of bad choices on my part and (I hope) I've learned the self-reflection that after the first couple of mis-steps I'd recognise the dangers and take some big steps away.
The fact I couldn't guarantee to beat it is a constant reminder to me that I shouldn't poke it with any 'wrong choice' sticks.
However you name it, however you deal with it, the difficulties do get - I won't say they get easier, because everyone finds it different - but for me they slowly got less immediate.