Daily water deprivation potentiates ethanol intake beyond a period of water intake.

Rats were given a daily opportunity to drink sweetened ethanol solution or water after 22 hr of deprivation of water. Their intakes of the ethanol solution increased gradually across three weeks and then remained relatively stable. These procedures examined the effects of having an opportunity to drink water for 30 min, before the opportunity to drink ethanol solution or more water. Even though 30 min of opportunity to drink water lessened intake of further water, this experience did not lessen rats' intake of the subsequently presented ethanol solution. The complex events of the daily cycle of deprivation and limited opportunities to ingest, which potentiate intake of flavored alcoholic beverage, are not modified substantially by merely providing water.