A method is provided for producing optically active alcohols from ketones by reducing a ketone in the presence of an iridium(III) complex having a chiral prolinamide compound as a ligand. The ketone is preferably a compound represented by formula [I]: (wherein R1 and R2 are different from each other, and each represent an optionally substituted straight or branched alkyl group, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted heteroaryl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group, an optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl group, an optionally substituted alkenyl group or an optionally substituted alkynyl group, and R1 and R2 may be bound to each other at any appropriate position to form a ring, the ring optionally containing one or more atoms which may be the same or different and are selected from an oxygen atom, an optionally substituted nitrogen atom and a sulfur atom, and optionally being condensed with an aromatic or hetero-aromatic ring).