Miserable across the Channel, drinking English port (7)

I believe the answer is:

trieste

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'port' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for trieste that I've seen before include "European city" , "Italian border city" , "One would have found a testier James Joyce there" , "Italian city, James Joyce's 13" , "NE Italy port" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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