Those that can drink in moderation, good on them. As men, I think we all will, or all have experienced times in our lives where we drank way too much and felt camaraderie. I think some of this is due to the denigration of the relationship between men.
Alcohol garners the most banal and inane conversations. Even when having a decent topic after a few you let emotion dictate and are unable to accurately make a point. When I think of all the "deep" conversations I have had in bars, hearing people's tales; which by the way are a dime a dozen, I shudder. Protip: everyone has hard some hard knocks.
It clouds judgment, it raises estrogen, it is a money sink, and it ruins relationships between men and women. Sometimes you need to break things down real simple: Where is your time better spent? The bar for 3 hours or a hike and lifting session? Or watching a movie with your broad? Or simply cleaning your home?
I drank and drugged through a lot of my 20's, my bias is not lost on me. I also do not buy that "alcoholism is a disease" bullshit.