The development of technologies to mitigate the damage caused by drought stress is essential for ensuring a sustainable food supply for the increasing global population. Bashir et al. (on pp.1181-1192) describe how the exogenous application of ethanol, an inexpensive and widely used chemical, significantly enhances drought tolerance in plants through the induction of stomatal closure, gluconeogenesis, and sugar accumulation. Ethanol application offers a simple solution for increasing global crop production under water-limited conditions.