Statistics of cirrhosis deaths and per-capita sales of alcohol suggest that San Francisco has a higher prevalence of alcoholism and heavy drinking than other U. S. A. cities. Analyses of the survey data, however, suggest that this is at least partly explainable by San Francisco's restricted boundaries, status as a tourist and entertainment center, and superior coroner's office efficiency. Comparison of survey data on drinking practices and problems in San Francisco and the central areas of other cities in a national study [Cahalan et al., rev. Quart. J. Stud. Ale. 31: 1064–1066, 1970] shows that in San Francisco regular and frequent-light drinking categories are somewhat more common, particularly among women; relatively heavy drinking is a little more common among women but less common among men. In both samples, changes in drinking patterns over periods of 1 to 2 years were fairly common, with a national tendency toward some gain in regular and relatively heavy drinking. Earlier survey findings of association of abstinence or infrequent drinking with older age, women and lower socioeconomic status are confomed in the San Francisco and national data, with few exceptions. Conflicting findings in earlier studies on the association of heavy drinking with these variables are largely reconciled by showing contrasting patterns in the cities of the “wetter” and “dryer” geographic regions. In patterns of beverage choice, San Francisco and the Pacific regions tend to substitute the casual glass of wine for the casual can of beer elsewhere. Among relatively heavy drinking men, spirits are the preponderant choice in San Francisco, beer elsewhere; in all samples, heavy drinking of wine is relatively rare. The most usual context of drinking is at home in all samples but in San Francisco heavier drinkers are more likely to drink in restaurants and bars. Indicators of binge drinking and social consequences of drinking show no tendency for San Francisco men to exceed the national average of big cities, and only marginally higher rates in San Francisco women.