Your post sent me to the "Articles" section of SR, where there once was an article about the mythology of writing and alcohol.
Couldn't find it so I did a search and instead came across this:
American Literature And The 'Mythos Of The Boozing Writer' : NPR
I'd like to get my hands on that book.
It also prompted recollections of a movie about F. Scott Fitzgerald I'd seen some years ago. He's the hometown hero in my neck of the woods, though he cared little for my neck of the woods. This flick takes a look at the last few years of his life. His story alone ought to put the final nail in the coffin of the "alcohol serves the literary genius" myth. Highly recommended.
TELEVISION REVIEW - The Downside of Paradise - Fitzgerald's Final Days - NYTimes.com