Bloom, for example, after raising rum in a cocktail (8)
I believe the answer is:
geranium
'bloom for example' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both plants as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'raising rum in a cocktail' is the wordplay.
'raising' becomes 'ge' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'cocktail' indicates anagramming the letters.
'rum'+'in'+'a'='rumina'
'rumina' anagrammed gives 'ranium'.
'ge'+'ranium'='GERANIUM'
'after' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for geranium that I've seen before include "Cultivated cranesbill" , "Flower for a strange Maine rug" , "Flower confused with pelargonium" , "Pelargonium (loosely)" , "Cranesbill plant" .)