We find that polygenic risk for alcohol dependence is positively correlated with alcohol consumption in this Scottish population‐based sample using scores derived from two independent GWAS of alcohol dependence. Individuals with a higher genetic load for alcohol dependence reported consuming significantly more alcohol. Despite alcohol consumption being positively correlated with cognitive ability in this sample, alcohol dependence polygenic risk is negatively associated with three measures of cognitive function: digit symbol coding, Mill Hill Vocabulary and verbal fluency. These associations were independent of self‐reported alcohol consumption. When education and social deprivation were added as covariates to the models, only the negative association with verbal fluency remained. These data suggest that lower cognitive functioning may precede alcohol dependence in individuals with a high genetic loading for the disorder, particularly in the domain of executive function (verbal fluency). Alcohol dependence polygenic risk is negatively correlated with SIMD and education. Individuals who carry more alcohol dependence risk alleles tend to live in regions of social deprivation and have spent fewer years in education. This may contribute to the increased prevalence of harmful drinking and
