Originally Posted by AnvilheadII

Or was this more a case of him just being a jerk who enjoys drinking?

that's actually a key insight....

is he a jerk WHEN he drinks or
is he a jerk who also drinks

thing is, until they sober up for a good solid 6 months to a year, AT LEAST, it will be hard to know what they are really like.

in the meanwhile, jerk behavior is STILL jerk behavior, regardless of the cause. and we don't have to put up with it just to get to the occasional "good stuff" - meaning they are sober, coherent and didn't call us a b!tch all day.

if you meet them in a bar, or at a party, it's possible they drink more than just occasionally. if on the first, second and third dates they drink, and possibly to excess, it's possible they drink more than once in a while. if they have a drink in hand as often as the TV remote......well you see where this is going.