Consumption of an ethanol-containing diet by mice resulted in a significant increase in circulating concentrations of corticosterone which was maintained for 8 days. There were no changes in the concentrations of plasma corticosterone binding globulin. Ethanol withdrawal symptoms followed the removal of ethanol from the diet and circulating corticosterone concentrations were further increased. There was no correlation between blood ethanol and glucocorticoid concentrations during the chronic ethanol treatment. Stress related to ethanol consumption may be of greater importance than the circulating ethanol concentrations in producing the elevation in plasma glucocorticoids.