Isn't that amounting to defamation?

yes. Sort of. In a Danish understanding ærekrænkelse - honor violation a more precise definition, is generally something that has to do with the media. So that they send a report Bryan is often drunk but that day he was very drunk and we could tell because he wasn't walking very well, didn't meet our eyes when he picked up his kid and didn't talk and moved his mouth away from us so we couldn't smell his breath (the proofs of my drunkenness given) to child protective services that is just them doing their job.

I mean I don't mind them thinking hey, maybe he's drunk, although they could have asked "Is something wrong" and I would have said "I'm really tired today", but I do mind that they were told no I don't drink you're wrong, and they decided no, that they couldn't possibly be wrong.