Distressed mourners hit the gin (7)
'the gin' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'distressed mourners hit' is the wordplay.
'distressed' indicates anagramming the letters.
'mourners'+'hit'='mournershit'
'mournershit' with letters rearranged gives 'MOTHERS RUIN'.
(Other definitions for mothers ruin that I've seen before include "Gin (in popular parlance)" , "Gordon's" .)
'distressed mourners' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
I don't understand the remainder of the clue.
(Other definitions for mothers that I've seen before include "Parents" , "Dams" , "Fusses over" .)