"woodchuck" news and stories

I had a pretty hectic day yesterday. Once I got home, all I wanted to do was sit on the back porch, enjoy the beautiful weather, and relax with a beer. These are some of my favorite beers to drink while winding down from a busy day. What are some of yours?

1. Woodchuck Draft Cider has such a sweet, crisp taste.
2. Woodchuck Pear Cider is also light and refreshing.
3. Stella Artois: one of my favorites any time, but especially nice to sip on a lovely afternoon.
4. Hefeweizen is simply delicious. I don't have a favorite, but Paulaner and Sam Adams are both good and easy to find.
5. Dogfish Head Black and Blue: a recently discovered treat that (apparently) is only occasionally brewed.
6. Honey Brown Ale is easy to drink and has a lot of nostalgic pull for me.
7. A nice Pilsner, like Reality Czeck, is great for an easy afternoon.
8. I could drink Lindeman's Framboise Lambic all day, every day: it's like drinking carbonated, lightly alcoholic raspberry juice.

Happy Groundhog Day! Today, February 2nd, is the day that people gather to watch a large rodent predict the end of winter. Of course, the only official weather-predicting groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who has been predicting the weather annually from Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for 120 years. Though the average lifespan of a groundhog is only 6-8 years, Phil cheats death by sipping a secret "groundhog punch" every seven years.

It seems inadvisable to eat large rodents when FDA approved sources of meat are readily available, but recipes for groundhog stew and fried groundhog do exist. A better way to celebrate the critters is by making a batch of cookies. Punxsutawney Phil has a favorite recipe for ginger cookies and Hi Monkey's Rock Cakes are adorned with tiny paper groundhogs.