Effects of removing food on maintenance of drinking initiated by pairings of sipper and food

►Non-deprived rats initiate ethanol intake without sweeteners or ethanol acclimation. ►Ethanol sipper CS and food US, paired or random, induced equal ethanol intake. ►Removal of food US had no effect on ethanol intake in either group. ►Removal of food US reduced water intake in non-ethanol controls. ►Food US does not contribute to ethanol intake in Pavlovian sign-tracking procedures.