The use of nonalcoholic beer as the vehicle for ethanol consumption in rats

Adult, male rats were presented in their home cages with either a nonalcoholic beer, the nonalcoholic beer with 10% ethanol added, or a choice between the two fluids. Although alcohol intake was increased by using the beer vehicle when alcohol was presented as the only available fluid, total daily consumption was not found greater than previous studies using other tastants to mask the alcohol taste. When given a choice, the rats preferred the nonalcohol-containing nonalcoholic beer to the alcohol-containing nonalcohol beer. After prolonged ethanol exposure in the home cage using the nonalcoholic beer vehicle, a subgroup of rats was tested in an operant paradigm to determine if ethanol presentation would maintain lever press behavior. There was little indication that, after this home cage procedure, ethanol functioned as an effective reinforcer. Therefore, although it appears that the use of nonalcoholic beer as the vehicle for making alcohol solutions can increase alcohol consumption, the utility of the nonalcoholic beer is no better than that of adding sweeteners.