Background Current models of compulsive‐like quinine‐adulterated alcohol (QuA) drinking in mice, if improved, could be more useful for uncovering the neural mechanisms of compulsive‐like alcohol drinking. The purpose of these experiments was to further characterize and improve the validity of a model of compulsive‐like QuA drinking in C57BL/6J mice. We sought to determine whether compulsive‐like alcohol drinking could be achieved following 2 or 3 weeks of Drinking‐in‐the‐Dark (DID), whether it provides evidence for a robust model of compulsive‐like alcohol drinking by inclusion of a water control group and use of a highly concentrated QuA solution, whether repeated QuA exposures alter compulsive‐like drinking, and whether there are sex differences in compulsive‐like alcohol drinking. Methods Male and Female C57BL/6J mice were allowed free access to either 20% alcohol or tap water for 2 hours each day for approximately 3 weeks. After 2 or 3 weeks, the mice were given QuA (500 μM) and the effect of repeated QuA drinking sessions on compulsive‐like alcohol drinking was assessed. 3‐minute front‐loading, 2 hour binge‐drinking, and blood alcohol concentrations were determined. Results Compulsive‐like QuA drinking was achieved after 3 weeks, but not 2 weeks, of daily alcohol access as determined by alcohol history mice consuming significantly more QuA than water history mice and drinking statistically nondifferent amounts of QuA than nonadulterated alcohol at baseline. Thirty‐minute front‐loading of QuA revealed that alcohol history mice front‐loaded significantly more QuA than water history mice, but still found the QuA solution aversive. Repeated QuA exposures did not alter these patterns, compulsive‐like drinking did not differ by sex, and BACs for QuA drinking were at the level of a binge. Conclusions These data suggest that compulsive‐like QuA drinking can be robustly achieved following 3 weeks of DID and male and female C57BL/6J mice do not differ in compulsive‐like alcohol drinking.

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