Any of you with half a mug (or half a happy meal) knows that coffee is something we here at DL/LL Digital Media Enterprises take extremely seriously. A fairly compelling argument could be made that this place literally runs on the stuff and they’d probably be correct. At any given time a blood sample from either Impish or I would be likely to show blood in our liquid caffeine.

Unfortunately with all the hub bub of late National Coffee Day caught us both by surprise so I’m hastily (between sips of brewed Brown Gold and mixing up a fresh batch or Brown Gold grounds so I can brew enough for both Impish and I to celebrate with) slapping together this short special for you guys.

(CNN)Go ahead, have another cup of coffee. This week’s mug runneth over with days devoted to the beverage that wakes up nations and keeps industries humming.

According to Internet sages and the arbiters of faux holidays, September 29 is Coffee Day (also known as National Coffee Day or International Coffee Day).

The origins of this day of caffeinated celebration are largely unknown, but who needs an origin story to justify that second, third or fourth cup?

Coffee purveyors are offering freebies to mark the occasion.

Among them, Dunkin’ Donuts is selling medium-sized cups of coffee for 66 cents — a nod to their 66th anniversary.

Krispy Kreme is upping the ante with a free glazed doughnut and a free 12-ounce cup of coffee at participating locations in the US.

According to the intergovernmental International Coffee Organization, October 1 2015 was the “first official” International Coffee Day.

Statistics suggest that coffee-loving Finns will outdo the rest of the world.

Finland is No. 1 in the world for coffee consumption per capita, according to data collected by market research provider Euromonitor International. On average, each person in Finland consumed 9.9 kilograms (21.8 pounds) of coffee in 2014.

Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia round out the top five coffee-consuming nations.

The United States didn’t even break the top 10, ranking 25th for coffee consumption in 2014. Americans consumed 3.1 kilograms (6.8 pounds) of coffee per capita last year, the same amount as the citizens of France.

Italians consumed slightly more: 3.4 kilograms (7.5 pounds), coming in at No. 21 on the global list.

In case you needed yet another reason to celebrate coffee, National Coffee Day is today, Thursday, September 29th. As expected, several big coffee and donut chains are serving up all sorts of free coffee and offering other coffee deals to mark the caffeinated occasion. And while you can’t just walk into a Starbucks and stick your head under the espresso machine (ouch), there are plenty of freebies that’ll leave you sufficiently hopped up the stuff like Kramer in no time.

Here’s our running list of free coffee deals and other promotions from several popular chains:

Free coffee deals

Krispy Kreme
The deal: Krispy Kreme does not mess around when it comes to National Coffee Day. Like last year, they’ll give you a free small coffee and a free classic glazed donut at participating locations, according to a press release. Best of all, you don’t have to buy anything.
When: All day.

Cumberland Farms
The deal: You can score a free Farmhouse Blend or Bold coffee — hot or iced — in any size from this convenience chain just by texting FREECOFFEE to 64827 and showing the coupon you’ll receive on your phone.
When:  All day.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
The deal: Walk into any Coffee Bean location (except for franchise locations) and you’ll walk out with a free shot of espresso if you download the chain’s new mobile app. Some Coffee Bean stores are also handing out free coffee tumblers and offering the chance to win free brewed coffee for a year.
When: All day.

Wawa
The deal: The beloved convenience store chain’s deal is delightfully simple. Visit any of its more than 730 locations and you can grab a free coffee in any size. As many times as you want.
When: All day.

Peet’s Coffee
The deal: Just like last year, participating Peet’s locations will give you a free medium brewed coffee, but only if you buy a fresh food item (in other words, something that’s not packaged) while you’re there.
When: All day.

Sheetz
The deal: Flash your My Sheetz Card at the register and you’ll be rewarded with a free small cold brew coffee. Don’t have a My Sheetz Card? Just ask for one when you check out.
When: All day.

McDonald’s
The deal: This is a tricky one, folks. While some McDonald’s locations appear to be offering free coffee deals in some regions, the fast food giant hasn’t announced a nationwide deal. For example, McDonald’s locations in the New York Tri-State area will give you a free small cup of hot or iced coffee if you present the local offer via the McDonald’s mobile app. With that said, you should call your local McDonald’s to see if they’re offering a deal before showing up and demanding free coffee.
When: All day.

Other coffee deals

Dunkin’ Donuts
The deal: While not exactly free, your local Dunkin’ location will serve you any medium cup of coffee for just 66 cents — in celebration of the donut chain’s 66 years of serving the brown stuff.
When: All day.

Starbucks
The deal: Starbucks announced that it will donate one rust-resistant coffee tree to farmers in need for every cup of Mexico Chiapas coffee it sells at participating stores in the US on National Coffee Day.
When: All day.

Caribou Coffee
The deal: Caribou is also celebrating the occasion by giving back. The company will donate a cup of coffee to caregivers at support centers and hospitals across the country for every cup of Amy’s Blend coffee is sells on National Coffee Day.
When: All day.

LaMar’s Donuts
The deal: Buy a 16oz collector’s travel mug for $1.19 and the donut chain will fill it with coffee for free.
When: All day. 

Le Pain Quotidien
The deal: This Belgian bakery and cafe chain is offering half off any size regular coffee at its locations across the US.
When: All day.

Bruegger’s Bagels
The deal: You can win one of five Bruegger’s Bottomless Mugs (with at least $185) by visiting a Bruegger’s location and posting a selfie with your Bruegger’s coffee cup and the hashtags #BrueggersMugShot and #contest on Twitter or Instagram.
When: All day. 

Keurig
The deal: If you’re willing to settle for coffee pod coffee, Keurig is offering 20% off some of its Green Mountain Coffee pods like Breakfast Blend, Nantucket Blend, Hazelnut, and more when you use the code “GREENSAVINGS” at checkout. The same code will also get you 15% off select other Green Mountain Coffee varieties like The Original Donut Shop.
When: September 29th through October 2nd. 

Turning coffee waste into clean energy

Who would have expected the Brits with all that tea drinking to be ahead of everyone else with a way to turn used coffee grounds into something green and practical? See the video here: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/29/us/national-international-coffee-day/

Ah, the perfect cup of java.  According to an expert cupper (a professional coffee taster), there are four components of a perfect cup: aroma, body, acidity, and flavor.

From the moment the average coffee lover opens a fresh bag of coffee beans, the aroma beckons, percolating the senses. Even those who don’t drink coffee tend to enjoy the fragrance a roasted bean casts.

When determining the body of a coffee, the bean, the roast, and the brew are all factors. The bean affects the texture of the coffee, whether its silky, creamy, thick or thin on the tongue and throat. However, the darker the roast and how it is brewed will alter the feel of a coffee’s body, too. Grandpa’s motor oil blend versus the coffee shop around the corner’s silky smooth, well-practiced grind have entirely different bodies.

The region a coffee is grown determines its acidity. The higher the elevation the coffee grows, the higher the quality and the acidity. These coffees are considered brighter, dryer, even sparkling by cuppers.

When it comes down to it, coffee lovers cherish the flavor as well as the caffeinated boost this roasted bean gives morning or night, black or with cream and sugar. Hot or cold it provides enjoyment even when decaffeinated!

There are many legendary accounts of how coffee first came to be, but the earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or the knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the 15th century in the Sufi monasteries around Mokha in Yemen.  It was here coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed, much like they are prepared today. Yemeni traders brought coffee back to their homeland from Ethiopia and began to cultivate the seed.

In 1670, coffee seeds were smuggled out of the Middle East by Baba Budan, as he strapped seven coffee seeds onto his chest.  The first plants grown from these smuggled seeds were planted in Mysore.  It was then that coffee spread to Italy, to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia and the Americas.

Brazil produces more coffee in the world than any other country followed by Colombia.  More than 50 countries around the world grow coffee, providing a delicious variety for the indulgence of steamy cups of the black drink for connoisseurs to consume.

Oops! Pot is done…gotta go! Where that Bailey’s at and someone get some donuts in here past Impish.