"normal" or non-problem/alcoholics do not HIDE their stash. neither the full ones OR the empties. the FACT is he preserves and protects his alcohol and even after being confronted about being secretive and the many many bottles hidden about immediately goes out the NEXT day and buys MORE alcohol screams that this IS a person with a problem with alcohol.
it is STRONGLY recommended that recovering addicts abstain from ALL drugs, including alcohol. because even alcohol feeds the addiction beast. only complete 100% sobriety puts addiction into full remission.
now he has "permission" to drink openly. i'd lay $20 bucks that he will STILL keep a stash somewhere. so that he can appear to drink "normally" by what is observed. if alcohol wasn't important to him, he'd QUIT. he wouldn't HAVE booze in the house. there is no PROGRESS from taking the bottle out from the under the sink and putting it in the freezer. that's just switching deck chairs on the Titanic.