Nest building is a novel method for indexing severity of alcohol withdrawal in mice.

•Chronic ethanol vapor inhalation dose-dependently suppressed nest building for up to 32h after withdrawal.•Withdrawal from an acute, high dose (4g/kg) of ethanol reduced nest building for up to 32h.•Body temperature predicted nest building in naïve HS/Npt mice but not in the same mice following ethanol vapor chamber exposure.