If you leave the fat cap on a brisket, you should consider injecting brine. Spices do not penetrate muscle more than a fraction of an inch, but they do flavor the surface and help form the crust. If you coated the meat with a wonderful spice rub, it will remain on top of the fat and not get onto the meat.
Drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis almost always causes liver damage, although not always cirrhosis. Drinking 32 to 48 oz. of beer, 4 to 8 oz. of liquor, or 16 to 32 oz. of wine every day for 10 to 15 years or longer greatly increases your chances of developing cirrhosis.
In other words, drinking alcohol is not entirely positive. Excessive drinking can cause increased risk of stroke, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and heart muscle disease. Excessive calories that you can get from alcohol can raise your triglyceride (another kind of bad cholesterol). And the increased triglyceride can be potential to affect your LDL to rise.