Whirly-Birly by Sabre

Puzzle explanation

The ten unclued entries were all alcoholic drinks. The substitution cipher had A to Z changing to ETKVR**PA*FXYGBLHIUSDMN*OC; the four asterisks represent letters not required in solving the puzzle. Enciphered and jumbled answers are shown in the table below.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Entry Explanation
Across
1 KIRSCHWASSER Encoded THEMATIC
13 EMPRESS Normal TEMPTRESS – both Ts
14 PODEX Jumbled (O(ld) + D(epot) + E(merge)) in PX
15 RESINATA Normal THEMATIC
16 AREG Normal AR + EG
17 NEODYMIUM Normal YOU MIND ME *; element at atomic number 60
19 WIT Encoded W + IT
20 MARYBUD Jumbled MARY + BUD (buddy); reference Nursery Rhyme
22 POMBE Encoded THEMATIC
23 BRANDY-PAWNEE Encoded THEMATIC
26 INDISPUTABLE Normal (IS + PUT) in LEAD BIN *; see liquid
27 HECHS Jumbled HES about CH
28 QUETSCH Encoded THEMATIC
31 KIR Normal THEMATIC
32 RAISE CAIN Normal ((hysteri)A + CRIES + IN + A) *
34 PORT Encoded THEMATIC
35 PLAIDMAN Normal (LAID + M) in PAN
37 EIGNE Normal Alternate letters
38 ANNATES Encoded TEA’S after ANN (Widdecombe)
39 STRESSING OUT Normal (STRONG SUIT + E’S) *
Down
1 FERNYTICKLES Normal TINY FRECKLES * & lit
2 AMEER Normal A + METER – T
3 IPSO Normal First letters
4 URI Normal Hidden
5 KENYA Normal (KEY + A) about N(ile)
6 PSAMMOPHILES Normal (PALMS – S + SHIP SOME) *
7 STUDDINGSAIL Jumbled STUD + DINGS + AIL
8 EPAULET Normal PAUL in ((th)E + (peac)E + (pac)T)
9 SLIVOWITZ Encoded THEMATIC
10 BURGUNDY Jumbled THEMATIC
11 REALTOR Jumbled RE + ALTO + R; US term
12 TURNIP GREENS Jumbled TUREENS about (NIP + GR)
18 BREEDINGS Jumbled BIRD’S GENE *
21 SAUTERNE Encoded THEMATIC
24 INHIBIT Normal IN + HI + BIT
25 V-SHAPES Normal (S(ome) + P(rivates’) + S(leeves) + HAVE) *
29 REIGN Normal Hidden
30 CRIES Encoded C + (I in RES)
33 SOMA® Jumbled AMOS <
36 GED Jumbled Hidden
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