Visitors to Mount Vernon routinely commented on the abundance of provisions offered at dinner, which included a selection of beverages ranging from fine wines to hard cider, ale, beer, and the Philadelphia porter of which Washington was fond. Malted liquors and ciders were typically served in glasses with deep bowls. This example may have been among the many "enameled" ale glasses George Washington acquired for his table in the 1760s and 1770s. The term "enameled" refers to the opaque white glass rods embedded in the stem, which glassmakers fashioned into a dazzling variety of spirals and twists.