Because drinking traditionally has been considered a behavior more appropriate for men than for women, heavy drinking by women frequently has been viewed in terms of deviation from traditional sex roles. This study was conducted to examine the relationships among overt behaviors, interests, and attitudes consistent with traditional sex roles and with patterns of alcohol use. Four hypotheses were tested: (1) that heavy drinking is associated with higher scores on measures consistent with more traditionally masculine behaviors and interests; (2) that light drinking is associated with higher scores on measures consistent with more traditionally feminine behaviors and interests; (3) that sex-role orientation may be a better predictor of drinking pattern than is biological gender; and (4) that the weight of a person may be a better predictor of the amount of drinking than the gender. Data were collected on 154 undergraduate students (68 men and 86 women) who completed the Demographic Questionnaire, the Drinking Habits Questionnaire, and the Sex-Role Behavior Scale-2. The results generally supported the four hypotheses. It appears that it is the sex-role orientation, rather than biological sex per se, that accounts most strongly for the differences in alcohol consumption. The fourth hypothesis concerning weight and alcohol consumption was partially supported. (Author/NB)