The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word COCKTAIL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
C
K
T
A
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More clues leading to the result COCKTAIL
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "evening drink?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case evening drink? = cocktail.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 COCKTAIL mean?
COCKTAIL noun- A mixed alcoholic beverage.
- A mixture of other substances or things.
- A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in its veins.
- A mean, half-hearted fellow; a coward.
- A species of rove beetle, so called from its habit of elevating the tail.
- To adulterate (fuel, etc.) by mixing in other substances.
- To treat (a person) to cocktails.
- Ostentatiously lacking in manners.