Novel thing to cover the drink (8)
I believe the answer is:
nightcap
'the drink' is the definition.
(nightcap is a kind of drink)
'novel thing to cover' is the wordplay.
'novel' indicates anagramming the letters.
'to cover' becomes 'cap' (capping is a kind of covering**).
'thing' is an anagram of 'night'.
'night'+'cap'='NIGHTCAP'
(Other definitions for nightcap that I've seen before include "late evening beverage" , "Old headgear" , "Head covering" , "Tot, at bedtime" , "Tipple before retiring" .)