Effect of alcohol content on beer consumption by rats.

Three brands of beer of varying alcohol content were presented to separate groups of male rats. The consumption data indicated, firstly, an inverse relationship between acceptability of the beer and its alcohol content. The data also indicated that the acceptability of full-strength beer could be augmented by prior exposure to low-alcohol and alcohol-free beer. The results are discussed with reference to orosensory- and inebriation-based models of alcohol consumption.