The nonoxidative metabolism of alcohol is minimal, but its products may have pathological and diagnostic relevance. Alcohol is nonoxidatively metabolized by at least two pathways. One leads to the formation of molecules called fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) from the reaction of alcohol with fatty acids––weak organic acids that play functional roles in human cells. The other nonoxidative pathway results in the formation of a type of fat molecule (i.e., lipid) containing phosphorus (i.e, phospholipid) known as phosphatidyl ethanol (see Figure 2). FAEEs are detectable in serum and other tissues after alcohol ingestion and persist long after alcohol is eliminated. The role of FAEEs in alcohol-induced tissue damage remains to be further evaluated.