I mention briefly here that my interpretation of Jack uses rum as subterfuge and I have spoken about this a lot on discord, but combing through my blogs has yielded nothing more definitive on the subject so for the sake of brevity let me break this down real fast. 

Jack has been exposed to alcoholism his whole life – and while this might normalise it, due to the fact it was being displayed by people he held in contempt ( pirates ) he made active measures in his own life to ensure that he would never fall into the same pits. 

However he also recognized that being sober was strange and something that was keenly observed – it was threatening as a man with all his wits about him tended to be. He keeps a flask on hand at all times, and is always affecting a measure of drunkenness in order to better blend in among his associates. 

More often than not he is drinking cider or water, but in situations where rum is all that is available or where not ordering and drinking would be seen as questionable, he does not hesitate. He knows when to use drinking to his advantage, but it is by no means a coping mechanism nor does he drink to get drunk. It is always part of a calculated effort, or a matter of having no other option. 

While I am well aware that Disney has employed many comical drunken shenanigans, as we all know at this point, I tell Disney to stuff off on a daily basis, and this is yet another point on which we must agree to disagree.