Crossword Genius

Company with hotel invested in local I used as boozer (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

alcoholic

'boozer' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'company with hotel invested in local i used' is the wordplay.
'company' becomes 'co' (abbreviation).
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'invested in' is an insertion indicator.
'used' indicates anagramming the letters.
'co'+'h'='coh'
'local'+'i'='locali'
'locali' anagrammed gives 'alolic'.
'coh' put inside 'alolic' is 'ALCOHOLIC'.

'as' is the link.

(Other definitions for alcoholic that I've seen before include "Person addicted to drink" , "needing AA assistance?" , "Sponge" , "Soak" , "Spirituous" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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