Hi behappy. What I say to myself is:
"Oh, this is a beast attack. I know this because I don't drink, so any thought of drinking is the beast. It may feel crazy for a few minutes but it will pass. It wants to talk me into drinking, but I don't drink. "
Then I might take a deep breath, feel my feet on the ground ... remember that I am safe because the beast cannot make me drink.
Then I try to "look" right at the beast ... look at the desire, try to see it wanting a drink and see it trying to take over my thoughts. I don't know exactly what it looks like, I see sort of a shadow, and when I stare at it, it kinda slinks away. I say, "hm, there you go again, but you'll never win".
One thing I don't do, is argue with it. I don't engage in the discussion it might want to have (it might start telling me I'm not an alcoholic, or no one will know if I drink, or one short break from sobriety won't hurt, etc). I don't answer any of that-- I don't bargain or discuss with it -- it does not have anything important to say and deserves no reply.
The attacks are rare now ... a few rounds of this, and some sober time, and it quiets down. But if it happens to bark again, no big deal, I repeat the above, takes about 30 seconds.
That's my attempt to describe what goes on in my head. You absolutely can do this, you just may not realize it yet.