Cryptic crossword clue
Raise dress code for formal evening drinks 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word COCKTAILS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "drinks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case drinks = cocktails.
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 COCKTAILS mean?

COCKTAILS noun
  1. A mixed alcoholic beverage.
  2. A mixture of other substances or things.
  3. A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in its veins.
  4. A mean, half-hearted fellow; a coward.
  5. A species of rove beetle, so called from its habit of elevating the tail.

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