For at least two years after I quit for good, I had numerous drinking dreams, some that were repetitious in several Beast loving territories like bars, or picnics, or vacations spots. When I awoke and recalled some of what I had dreamt I would always have the immediate sense that I was or had just been under the influence of alcohol with all the associated physical and mind altering sensations. It was fresh and present. The first few drinking dreams caused me some consternation, but I quickly accepted them as harmless. I've always liked that I can remember dreams in general. It's fun.
My Beast was like the Terminator that fell into the molten iron at the end of the movie. It was trying to morph into something, anything, that would bring it back into being able to make me move my muscles to drink booze again. I treat dreams like getting a free movie.
Those dreams gradually decreased in both strength and frequency. By strength, I mean vividness and volume of recall. In the very rare dreams of drinking or smoking pot I've had over the last 30 years, I have been very aware of knowing I had no real mind alteration in the dream even though I was drinking or smoking in the dream. In one, I did sense that I had behaved very tired and fatigued, but definitely not mind altered. I can only guess that any remenance of that sensation must be completely gone from my biological memory.
When I smell alcoholic beverages, they DO smell familiar, but still any memory of the biological effect of that in my blood is gone. I don't mind smelling alcoholic beverages, and I can recall their different smells even at this moment.