near beer vs drink

near beer and drink both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
near beer	Yes	No	No	No
drink	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, drink is a hypernym of near beer; that is, drink is a word with a broader meaning than near beer:

Other hypernyms of near beer include beverage, drinkable, potable.

near beer (noun)	drink (noun)
drink that resembles beer but with less than 1/2 percent alcohol	the act of drinking alcoholic beverages to excess
	the act of swallowing
	any liquid suitable for drinking
	a single serving of a beverage
	any large deep body of water

near beer (verb)	drink (verb)
	be fascinated or spell-bound by; pay close attention to
	take in liquids
	consume alcohol
	drink excessive amounts of alcohol; be an alcoholic
	propose a toast to