Crossword Genius

Mixed drink prior to winning fight (5-2)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

punch-up

'fight' is the definition.
(I know that punch-up is a type of fistfight)

'mixed drink prior to winning' is the wordplay.
'mixed drink' becomes 'punch' (punch is a kind of mixed drink).
'prior to' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'winning' becomes 'up' (eg being up at half time in football).
'punch'+'up'='PUNCH-UP'

(Other definitions for punch-up that I've seen before include "Brawl (colloq.)" , "Street brawl" , "Fist fight" , "An informal fist-fight or brawl - strike vertically?" , "Fisticuffs incident" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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