The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BEVERAGE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
E
V
E
R
A
G
E
More clues leading to the result BEVERAGE
- Drink beginning to befuddle Dame Edna
- A drink British always mature
- Head of brewery, always with time for a drink
- Bishop always has time for a drink
- Bar’s opening – first off, purchase a drink
- Bishop always has time for a drink!
- Bachelor always on time for a drink
- Be mean, withholding a drink
- Drink in Bull’s Head, always before time
- Be very eager stirring such as a Frappuccino
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "drink" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case drink = beverage.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BEVERAGE mean?
BEVERAGE noun- A liquid to consume; a drink, such as tea, coffee, liquor, beer, milk, juice, or soft drinks, usually excluding water.
- (A gift of) drink money.