As for your first question... yes drinking alcohol will slow down your weight loss...
Your body will burn the alcohol in your system before it will return to burning fat... So keep that in mind..

As for me... I have been drinking on the weekends... since day one.. (sometimes during the week as well )
I am losing weight slowly but steadily.. and since this is a WOL.. i find it comforting to know that i don't have to give up things that i enjoy..

I drink Captain morgan's spiced rum.. (at .3 carbs per once and a half) and diet coke... w/ either a splash of lime juice or 3 lime wedges...
I'm not a big beer drinker... but Michelob Ultra is not bad.. just tastes watered down...
And be advised.. that the carbs are lower.. but the bottles are smaller