The review is focused on construction of biosensors for monitoring of ethanol. The use of various biological components (considering their specificity), methods of preparation and practical properties of biosensors are discussed. Principles of the amperometric transducer, which is most frequently employed in detection of redox processes, are summarized. The operation mechanism of electron transfer mediators used to improve application properties of biosensors is also explained. Finally, some examples of ethanol biosensors designed for biotechnological and medical purposes are presented.