Search for drink before playing game (7)
I believe the answer is:
rummage
'search' is the definition.
(rummage is a kind of search)
'drink before playing game' is the wordplay.
'drink' becomes 'rum' (rum is a kind of drink**).
'before' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'playing' is an anagram indicator.
'game' with letters rearranged gives 'mage'.
'rum'+'mage'='RUMMAGE'
'for' is the link.
(Other definitions for rummage that I've seen before include "Gear mum up to search and poke about" , "odds and ends" , "rifle" , "Search roughly - jumble" , "Search unsystematically" .)