What does “cocktail” mean in this context?

Question

I tried to guess what the author means here but I couldn't still get it. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/cocktail

"The combination in Denmark of stricter liquidity rules and negative rates that most economists predict will last into 2019 are proving a challenging cocktail for the country’s banks. But Danske has shown that lenders can still perform very well in such an environment. It delivered record profits in 2016 and its shares have gained about 16 percent this year, compared with the roughly 10 percent increase in European financial stocks."

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-14/danske-tells-biggest-clients-it-doesn-t-want-all-their-deposits

Answer 1

Your dictionary link has this definition: "A mixture of substances or factors, especially when dangerous or unpleasant." This is the meaning here: the "stricter liquidity rules" and "negative rates" are the mixture of factors from the definition.

If you look at dictionary.com's definition of cocktail, you will see these definitions:

1. Any of various short mixed drinks, consisting typically of gin, whiskey, rum, vodka, or brandy, with different admixtures, as vermouth, fruit juices, or flavorings, usually chilled and frequently sweetened.
2. A portion of food, as seafood served with a sauce, a mixture of fruits, or juice, served as the appetizer course of a meal.
3. Pharmacology. a beverage or solution concocted of various drugs.
4. Any eclectic mixture or miscellaneous collection.

In the case of your quote, the word has the fourth definition, and the miscellaneous collection is the rules and rates mentioned.

So, the basic meaning is that the combination of rules and rates is proving to be a challenging group of things to deal with for the country's banks.