Drinks Reception - solution

Below the break is the solution and notes for Drinks Reception.

Drinks Reception

In each across clue the wordplay indicates the answer plus an extra letter that is not entered in the grid. In clue order, these letters give an informal definition of a thematic word. Solvers should highlight in the grid four alternative definitions of this word (all of which are single words, none consisting entirely of a single clue answer), to form symbolic representations of the informal definition. Online solvers can double-click in a cell to highlight it.
All answers are in Chambers Dictionary; not all have their own entry but all can be found at Quinapalus's Word Matcher.