The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word LIQUEURS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
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More clues leading to the result LIQUEURS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "sweet drinks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sweet drinks = liqueurs.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 LIQUEURS mean?
LIQUEURS noun- A flavoured alcoholic beverage that is usually very sweet and contains a high percentage of alcohol. Cordials are a type of liqueur manufactured using the infusion process as opposed to the essence and distillation processes.
- To flavor or treat (wine) with a liqueur
- To top up bottles of sparkling wine with a sugar solution