Alcohol, anisated araq, mastic araq and water were given as sole drinking fluid to 4 groups of 20 male white Sprague-Dawley rats each. The alcohol content of the fluids was 10% for 6 weeks and 20% for an additional 32 weeks. At 6 weeks and at 2-week intervals thereafter 2 rats from each group were killed and lipids were determined in pooled livers. Total lipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol were consistently highest at all time intervals in the pooled livers of rats given mastic araq, by as much as 98% (total lipids) , 139% (triglycerides) and 302% (total cholesterol) over controls at 28 weeks. The next highest increases occurred in livers of rats given anisated araq. The least increases occurred in livers of rats given alcohol (68, 81 and 43% over controls at 28 weeks). Free fatty acids were highest in the livers of rats given alcohol, by as much as 260% over controls after 28 weeks. The increase in the anisated araq group at 28 weeks was 130% and in the mastic araq group 100% over controls. A decrease in phospholipids of about 14% was observed after 28 weeks of alcohol drinking; anisated and mastic araqs induced decreases of 19 and 26%. Liver weights were significantly different, being greater in the alcohol-drinking groups. The data suggest that the congeners in both of the tested araqs accentuate the effect of alcohol in fatty liver infiltration and that the effect is differential. The importance of the observations in the etiology of alcoholic fatty liver and their probable underlying mechanisms are discussed. Anisated araq is drunk in Lebanon and mastic araq in Iraq. In Lebanon it is drunk slowly and accompanied by food, and a low incidence of liver cirrhosis is reported. In Iraq the drinking patterns have not been related to the reportedly frequent occurrence of liver cirrhosis.