Jason Vale states early in the book that he doesn't think alcoholism even exist, so therefore alcoholics don't exist only addiction along a spectrum. If you take pure alcohol, it does taste awful. Drinks can be made that taste good that contain alcohol, but people aren't drinking them because of the taste of alcohol, but rather the effect of alcohol. Finally, advertising does work and the liquor industry spends dearly to keep us convinced that drinking is fun, part of a good life, sophisticated, etc. Jason Vale's book aims to take on each issue (excuse) and show that drinking is never necessary and generally adds nothing.
I also like to remember that Vale's book is a technique to quit, not a scientific journal article. It only needs to be effective, not accurate. There's no reason to try and tear it apart.