Cryptic crossword clue
Ingredient of tonic wine, one of five used in place of whiskey 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word QUININE

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The straight part
We know that "Ingredient of tonic" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ingredient of tonic = quinine.
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 QUININE mean?

QUININE noun
  1. A bitter colourless powder, an alkaloid derived from cinchona bark, used to treat malaria and as an ingredient of tonic water.

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