It’s both, you’re mixing different phylogenies. Any alcohol prepared for consumption is a solution of water, ethanol, and various other substances (almost all water or alcohol soluble). Ethanol in aqueous solution is also a strong solvent (pure ethanol is a less effective solvent, but a solvent nonetheless).

Alcohol refers to an alcoholic drink (like the martini held by this sophisticated cat). Water and ethanol (99% of these drinks) are miscible, so are always at least a solution with one another. The additional flavor compounds that make drinks different from one another tend to be in solution as well.

100% distillation of alcohol is impossible, so I guess it's always a solution. But technically it's not a solution. Spirits are a solution.

There's the joke in Swedish about alcohol being a lösningsmedel (solvent, but also something that solves problems). Won't that also work in German but with Lösungsmittel?