Habitual excess alcohol intake impairs the brain,1 but the effect of moderate consumption is unclear. A cognitive benefit from moderate alcohol intake is plausible, given the strong link between moderate alcohol intake and the decreased risk of cardiovascular disease2,3; cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease share common risk factors.4 In addition, Ruitenberg et al. reported that moderate alcohol consumption was related to a decreased risk of both vascular and nonvascular dementia5 and proposed that moderate alcohol consumption may increase the release of brain acetylcholine. Most studies,6-15 but not all,16-18 have tended to show that moderate drinkers do better on cognitive tests than nondrinkers; however, few studies have had samples that were large enough to yield statistically significant results or to assess long-term, stable patterns of alcohol intake and very early signs of cognitive decline. Also, many studies have been limited by inadequate control for confounding, and none have examined specific alcoholic beverages. We addressed these issues in the Nurses' Health Study.