A number of environmental and personality characteristics of adolescent students and their relationship to types of drinking contexts were examined using a series of canonical correlation analyses. The strongest relationship was defined by the perceived normative support for drinking, which accounted for 55% of the variance in the drinking context items for males (58% among females). Positive functions of drinking, personal attitudes and values, and environmental contexts were also associated with drinking context items but accounted for smaller proportions of the variance. The contribution of important environmental, personality and drinking context variables to each canonical relationship is discussed. Consistency of studies relevant to the major finding is reviewed and possible bases for discrepancies are explored. Further studies relating to antecedent networks of access to various drinking contexts are identified as areas deserving more intensive and extensive research efforts.