Narrator's bent for American liquor (3)
I believe the answer is:
rye
'liquor' is the definition.
(rye is a kind of liquor)
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rye that I've seen before include "East Sussex resort" , "Drink" , "place in East Sussex" , "Hardy cereal crop" , "Grass; whisky" .)