Alcohol is commonly viewed as a psychoactive substance that primarily affects brain function. The effects of alcoholism on modern society are vast and deeply rooted in our history. Alcohol consumption causes problems at the individual, social, health and financial level. An alcohol craving is an intense desire or compulsion to drink alcohol. There exist commonalities between over-eating and over-consumption of alcohol. Evidence is growing that appetite regulating peptides such as leptin and ghrelin are altered in alcoholism. The neuropeptides leptin and ghrelin are involved in the appetite regulating network consisting of distinct orexigenic (ghrelin) and anorexigenic (leptin) circuitries. Recently, it was suggested that these hormones, ghrelin and leptin may play a role in alcohol use disorders. Therefore the goal of this review is to discuss the results of some recent investigations of the potential interactions of these systems with acute and chronic alcohol responses and the potential treatment for alcohol dependence.