Crossword Genius

Falls sick, we hear, after many drinks (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ales

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'drinks' is the definition.
(ale is a kind of drink)

'falls sick we hear after many' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'many' could be 'l' and 'l' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'aes' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for ales that I've seen before include "What might be delivered by pumps" , "Alcoholic drinks" , "A sale of beers" , "Types of beer" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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