Wiktionary
hit the bottle
vb. (context idiomatic colloquial English) To drink alcohol steadily and in excess, particularly in response to a setback.
Usage examples of "hit the bottle".
She didn't bother me in the afternoon, when I started to hit the bottle harder because the stuff didn't seem to be having any effect.
Nanny Whip went into the kitchen and hit the bottle of cooking brandy.