The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SAMBUCA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
A
M
B
U
C
A
More clues leading to the result SAMBUCA
- Liqueur served by small maiden in a northern Caribbean island
- Chap taking youngster on the rebound a drink
- A young mother’s knocked back liqueur
- A youngster, by degrees, raised drink
- In retreat, zebra cub mastered imbibing strong drink
- Tipple before noon got with limited money in South America
- Uncle, face of 13, and young reporter knocked back a drink
- Sea cub master knocked back bottles … a hangover in waiting?
- Around morning, distilled Cuba’s liqueur
- A young mother’s knocked back drink
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a hangover in waiting" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a hangover in waiting = sambuca.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 SAMBUCA mean?
SAMBUCA noun- An Italian liqueur made from elderberries and flavoured with licorice, traditionally served with 3 coffee beans that represent health, wealth and fortune (or past, present and future).
- An ancient form of triangular harp having a very sharp, shrill tone.