When you have alcohol in your coffee or a beer first thing in the morning. You keep a bottle in your car. You drink at work. You take a nip at lunch. You can't face situations without first taking a drink. When sobriety is the rarity. When you say you "need" a drink.

I think that depends on the person ..and who's doing the judging

I`m not what would call an alcoholic, more a binge drinker. I can go weeks between drinks but if I have one or two? Then the temptation to go to excess is great. For example, last night I got home from work, my body was aching from physical labour and I bought a bottle of southern comfort. This morning 3/4 of it is gone, I probably won't touch it again till a few days.

I have difficulty only drinking 2 or 3 beers, I can, but it's hard. So I usually abstain.
Mixed drinks, the ice keeps it cold and I tend sip so it's a little easier.
My definition would be, if it often causes problems for you and the people you care about, but you do it anyway. You are an alcoholic.

Me. I'm a low level alcoholic. I drink every day - not to excess, last time I actually got drunk was the work Christmas party. A bottle of vodka lasts me about a week. But it's there, and I can feel it creeping up. Need to start taking days off, but my current home situation is, how should I put this? Somewhat stressful.
Still, better keep an eye on it.

I consider an addiction anything you can't do without.

I consider it a problem when it affects other areas of your life. For example, having to cancel plans (because you're hungover) miss work or lie about how much you're drinking.

This suggests to me there's a real problem with control. If you know you're obligated to something the next day and can't stop yourself from drinking to the extent that it will prevent your doing it, that's verging on alcoholism.

It doesn't have anything to do with how many drinks or how often. It has to do with how the sufferer's life is affected by their alcohol consumption, & the fact that they are "powerless over alcohol." If you drink 3 beers a night but your marriage is fine, you don't get DUIs, your drinking doesn't interfere with your work, & you aren't harming your health, you probably aren't an alcoholic. But if those things are happening & you only drink once a week or even once a month, you may well have a drinking problem. AA really leaves it up to each individual to decide if they are an alcoholic.

"Needing a drink".

The last option would be the answer to your question.