Sometimes, people in AA wonder if they couldn't after all become moderate drinkers, now they've been sober for a while. This question becomes of paramount importance, as the person believes they must resolve this before they drink again. Here's the catch, though:
The reason the question is being asked is because the person, despite years of bad experiences in the past (or they wouldn't be in AA), wants to drink. In fact, wants to drink quite badly. Because you'd have to want to drink quite badly to be considering it after years of bad experiences.
But the very fact that the question is being asked means that the individual is not (yet) a moderate drinker. How so?
A moderate drinker is someone who can take it or leave it. They literally don't care whether they drink or not.
If you care, you're not one.