The present study was designed to assess the temporal pattern of ethanol intake over a 24 h period in selectively bred, Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Ethanol intake occurred under the two-bottle, free choice regimen. sP rats consumed ethanol in three distinct peaks, rather regularly distributed over the 12 h dark phase of the light-dark cycle and positively correlated with food intake episodes. The temporal distribution of ethanol intake and estimated blood alcohol levels are consistent with the hypothesis that sP rats voluntarily drink ethanol for its pharmacological effects.