Very much in the past, occasional ale drunk (1,4,4)
I believe the answer is:
a good deal
'very much' is the definition.
(a good deal can mean a great amount)
'past occasional ale drunk' is the wordplay.
'past' becomes 'ago' (similar in meaning).
'occasional' becomes 'odd' (odd can mean occasional or infrequent).
'drunk' is an anagram indicator.
'ale' anagrammed gives 'eal'.
'ago'+'odd'+'eal'='A GOOD DEAL'
'in the' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for a good deal that I've seen before include "could make much" , "what a poker player hopes for?" .)