I also think a direct approach is the best answer (a right direct approach... no drunken calls). You can't let fear (of rejection, of losing a friend) rule your life.
That being said, I really think that before you say/do anything you should give some consideration to the question "what kind of relationship do I want to have with this person?".
I've been in the place of this befriended person. I became friends with this guy who developed feelings for me. After some time, he told me. I had a boyfriend, so he was just letting me know to clear the air and be able to move on. And he said he wanted to remain friends.
I was really glad to be able to remain friends with him because he was a really great guy and I really enjoyed his company. But (unknown to me) his feelings kept developing and it ended up with him needing to put some distance between us, which I understood, but it still hurt because it just showed me that he had never been my friend to begin with -not really.
Why am I saying this? Because in the (hopefully very unlikely) case that you are rejected you will have to make the decision of whether or not you want to remain friends with this person. And if you can see yourself being just friends, really just friends with this person, then do it. But if you can't, or if you aren't sure, be cautious about it because, although you may not see it at the time, it can end up hurting both of you.
Also, depending on the extent of your feelings for this person, in the (hopefully very likely) case she/he reprocicates, you may want to allow her/him some time to catch up with them. Wait to make any big declarations until you know for sure it's not going to freak her/him out!
Finally, all that's left to say is "good luck!".
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