Visually evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded from occipital scalp locations in 10 human subjects in 3 testing sessions in which no liquid, a placebo, or alcohol producing a mean blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.09% was consumed. During each session, the time required to respond to visual stimuli was measured; in some of the testing sessions, cash rewards were offered as a means of manipulating the subjects'' level of attention. Alcohol did not significantly attenuate VEP from the occipital area, but peaks of all later VEP components were delayed significantly. Simple visuomotor-reaction time was affected more by the monetary reward than by alcohol. At this BAC, a subject motivated by monetary reinforcement was capable of responding as fast as under the control condition, whereas reaction times in the nonrewarded condition were significantly slower after alcohol. Early components of the VEP with peak latencies of less than 80 ms were not significantly affected following ingestion of alcohol; the effect of alcohol of VEP may be due to cortical depression.