Question: what is the difference between a base and an alcohol?
Answer: Alcohols are generally very weak acids. It has to do with what species are in solution. For a traditional base, like NaOH, the soluble species are Na+ and OH-, so the OH group is in solution. In a water soluble alcohol, like methanol, the O is tightly bonded to the carbon, and the H+ is weakly solubilized.