Intracerebral injection of 4 microgram of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was used to deplete forebrain noradrenaline (NA) in rats to less than 5% of control values without affecting brain dopamine (DA) and the oral consumption of ethanol examined. Control rats showed a progressive increase in their intake of a 15% ethanol solution and after 15 days were consuming large quantities. This increase did not occur in NA depleted rats, which after 15 days had consumed no more than a few millilitres of the solution in total. The results are discussed in terms of a central noradrenergic basis of ethanol reward.