In 80 subjects (28 women), a factor-analytic investigation of the relationship between the reasons for drinking and customary drinking behavior revealed that solitary drinking is associated with drinking in order to forget personal shortcomings, drinking to forget problems and disappointments, and drinking to be less concerned with what others think. Positive skewness proved to be a valid index of deviant drinking practices and motives. Some incidental findings indicated that heavy beer consumption occurs most among young men.