When will alcohol cravings stop after quitting?

My dad recently quit alcohol in August. He never mentioned wanting to quit alcohol but after 40+ years of drinking it got out of control so my mother & I forced him into the hospital for rehab. He drank at least a bottle of bourbon a day & it took him over a month in the hospital including 10 days induced coma to overcome withdrawal & regain the blood he lost in his system (he's anemic so when he lost blood the alcohol thinned his blood & tricked his body into thinking it had enough blood). But now he's made a good recovery & hasn't touched the stuff since stating that he CAN'T drink because his liver can't take it anymore, & that we can't afford it. He's been unemployed for 6 years & a bottle a day is an expensive habit. But he claims all the time that he wants to drink, that things he used to find fun & relaxing like cooking or listening to music are not fun at all without a shot & a beer. I know it takes time for a recovering alcoholic to not crave alcohol (his best friend was also an alcoholic but quit & found God & no longer wants to drink & can even handle situations with alcohol) but my concern is that my father really never wanted to quit drinking in the first place so is he ever going to stop craving alcohol or is this a phase? He also is not at the point here he can go to family gatherings or will not let his family in the house because they drive him crazy & I don't blame him they are judgmental. other concerns are constant itching & mood swings & sleeplessness.