Tested the preference of 11 female albino rats for water or beer containing varying amounts of ethanol for 12 hrs daily across 5 phases, each lasting 15 days. During Phase 1, Ss had free access to beer containing 3.2% ethanol, beer without ethanol (near beer), and water. During Phases 2, 3, and 4, they had free access to 3.2% beer and water, 4.5% beer and water, and 10% beer and water, respectively. During Phase 5, they again had 3.2% beer, near beer, and water. Between phases, there were 5 days of baseline water consumption. During Phases 1 and 5, 3.2% beer was preferred over water, and near beer was overwhelmingly preferred over the other 2 fluids. The volume of near beer consumed during Phases 1 and 5, respectively, was 5.2 and 3.3 times the volume of water consumed at baseline. During Phase 2, 3.2% beer was preferred to water, and during Phase 3, 4.5% beer was preferred to water. Only when the ethanol concentration reached 10% (during Phase 4) was water preferred to beer. (13 ref)