A closely related expression (and obviously a metaphorical usage) is
to hide behind the bottle.
From QuitAlcohol:
Stop Hiding Behind the Bottle
It probably brings out more the futility of seeking escape by drinking oneself insensate.
Another expression, probably more common, is
to drown one's sorrows.
If you say that someone is drowning their sorrows, you mean that they are drinking alcohol in order to forget something sad or upsetting that has happened to them.