There’s no city more obsessed with coffee than Melbourne. In fact, the city has a higher cafe visitation rate than any other capital city. 11.5 percent of Melburnians visit a cafe sixteen times or more during the average three-month period.

Brew-tiful news: hundreds of Melburnians will be able to savour a cuppa on Visit Victoria, in celebration of International Coffee Day, this Friday October 1.

It’s part of the Sip for Vic initiative which aims to give a helping hand to some CBD businesses doing it tough during the global pandemic.

The offer is open to CBD residents and authorised workers and limited to the first 100 customers at each participating cafe, with a limit of one per person.

To redeem the free cup of coffee, simply visit any local participating cafe and quote ‘Visit Victoria’s Sip for Vic’ initiative.

Participating cafes across the city who sell coffee made from Victorian-produced coffee beans include: Industry Beans, Axil Coffee Roasters, Brother Baba Budan and Little Rogue.

Participating cafes include:

Brother Baba Budan (359 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne)

Vacation (1 Exhibition Street, Melbourne),

Patricia (Corner of Little Bourke and Little Williams Streets, Melbourne)

The League of Honest Coffee (8 Exploration Lane, Melbourne)

King Street Espresso (270 King Street, Melbourne)

Cup of Truth (12 Degraves Street, Melbourne)

Little Rogue (12 Drewery Lane, Melbourne)

Axil Coffee Roasters (Shop GD087, Melbourne Central, 360 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne)

Cathedral Coffee (9/37 Swanston Street, Melbourne)

Dukes Coffee Roasters (247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne)

People’s Coffee (7 Bensons Walk, Melbourne)

Victorians living outside the CBD zone are encouraged to celebrate International Coffee Day by buying their fave brew from their local cafe or by ordering Victorian coffee products online via Click For Vic.

“Our Sip for Vic initiative is about supporting the CBD and reminding Melburnians about why we’re the coffee capital of Australia,” Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said.

“If you’re lucky enough to benefit from this initiative, I’d encourage you to pay it forward – be extra kind to your baristas, post about the cafe on social media, or even consider buying a morning muffin with your coffee if you can,” Mr McClements said.

Related story: Get your caffeine hit with this new coffee gin by Anna Polyviou