Taste stimulation during human drinking is approximated by alternate stimulation of the tongue with a stimulus liquid and a second liquid. Such stimulation produces no significant sensory adaptation of taste, in contrast to continuous stimulation with the stimulus liquid. The absence of a reduction over time in judged taste intensity holds up under variations in flow duration of the two liquids (1 sec to 3 sec), stimulus compound NaCl or Na-saccharin), stimulus concentration (2 mM Nasaccharin; 100 mM-500 mM NaCl), or subjects (29). Pulsatile, alternating taste stimulus presentation represents a model of taste relevant to human drinking.