Gunfire Coffee

Many Australians enjoy a ‘gunfire breakfast’ between the ANZAC Day Dawn Service and mid-morning march. A gunfire breakfast typically involves rum-laced coffee or tea, hot food such as bacon and eggs, and is a chance for veterans – and often other community members – to enjoy shared camaraderie. 

The custom stems from ‘gunfire’ – a mix of rum and black tea dating back to at least the 1890s. It was made by British Army soldiers – likely as a warming dash of morale or liquid courage ahead of the day’s battle – and later adopted by Australian and New Zealand forces.