The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word RISTRETTO
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
I
S
T
R
E
T
T
O
More clues leading to the result RISTRETTO
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "strong drink" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case strong drink = ristretto.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 RISTRETTO mean?
RISTRETTO noun- An espresso drink made with less hot water than normal.
- Poured with less hot water than normal.