Once upon a time not so long ago, the word "beer" prompted mental images of frat boys chugging Miller Lites. It did not, traditionally, scream "mother."

But times, they are a-changin', and more and more women are drinking beer these days. And despite the lingering stereotype of a "mom drink" as a chilled glass of chardonnay (not that there's anything wrong with that), some moms are definitely sipping suds. Heck, Carol Stoudt, mother of five, has adopted the moniker of "Queen of Hops" since opening Stoudt's Brewing with her hubby in 1987.

Asked about the perfect Mother's Day brew, Matt Barclay of Brooklyn (N.Y.)'s Bierkraft says, "most of our women customers drink the Belgian Tripel [style]." With fruit and candy flavors, Tripels can be sweet but also incredibly complex. If mom is a fan of sweet wines or desserts, try pouring her a Belgian ale after dinner, like an aromatic raspberry Lindemans Framboise lambic. If she's a chocolate freak, proffer a Chocolate Stout.

Or maybe your mom does sling back Miller Lite with the best of them. School us! Does your ma drink beer? What's her favorite brew? (Moms, don't feel shy about speaking out on your behalf!)

In another effort to stem criticism about their lack of concern for kids' nutrition, McDonald's has created a Global Panel of Moms to discuss issues like health, nutrition and overall well-being. The nine women on the panel come from six countries, including Argentina, Germany and China, and are a diverse group in terms of accomplishment. Four are former Olympians, one is a cooking show personality, and others include an artist, a childhood development expert and a PTA (a school parent organization) president. McDonalds says that they plan to establish additional panels for individual countries. It sounds as though they plan to use these panels to brainstorm new and healthier offerings for kids, such as the packaged apple slices that were introduced as an alternative to fries over a year ago.

Of course, it remains to be seen as to how much McDonald's will change its menu. Healthy or not, their offerings are still popular, and that is something that is difficult for a business to even consider walking away from.