The role of verbal intelligence (VI) as an antecedent and moderator of alcohol‐related problems was investigated for a national sample of young adults. A measure of VI was used to predict alcohol related behavior 5 years later. Results indicated that lower VI was associated with lower risk for drinking per se. Lower VI was also associated with higher risk for alcohol‐related problems among those who drink. These findings were robust across gender, age, and to a large extent across different areas of alcohol related problems. Cognitive‐behavioral functions associated with intelligence, such as social judgement, social inference, and social skills, are proposed as possible moderators of the relationship between intelligence and alcohol‐related p