‘Mad Men’ is returning: Let the countdown (and inevitable drinking games) begin!

What‘s that’s noise you hear? Why, only the divine sound of scotch glasses being clinked together in celebration to the news that Mad Men is finally coming back after what has felt like a seemingly endless hiatus. As we reported yesterday, star/all-around handsome man Jon Hamm stated in an interview that the Emmy-winning AMC series is set to return on March 25.

I’ll drink to that! In fact, in addition to the bevy of Mad Men-associated drinking games out there (this one suggests “Take a sip when you pine for the late Miss Blankenship”) there’s plenty of other ways to pass the time over the next 75 days. Here’s some EW suggestions for your Mad Men countdown:

If you’re a fan, re-watch all the seasons on DVD, natch. (“The Suitcase” is just as brilliant as you remember it.)
If you’re a newbie, watch all the seasons on DVD, natch. (Be sure to study up on Pete Campbell’s Bitchface so that you can point them out to seasoned fans while you watch.)
Drinking games are fun and all, but over the duration of the next 10-and-a-half weeks, you’ll need to eat something, too. Make Mad Men-inspired meals. Alison Brie cheese and crackers, Pete Campbell’s soup, Duck duck, and of course, Jon Hamm ham. (If you’re feeling especially adventurous you could mix Jon Hamm ham with Freddy Rumsen rum for Rum Ham.)
Start an office pool and/or Mad Men fantasy league. (Team Peggy Olson!) Place your bets accordingly on which season 5 episode Henry will walk out on Betty. (I’m going to take a giant risk and say the premiere.)
Keep up with the cast member’s other projects. Hamm has been making appearances on IFC’s The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margret and you can watch Christina Hendricks in the brilliant, brutal Drive, which comes out on DVD on Jan. 31. But, fair warning about that last one. What happens to our dear, beautiful Joanie in it is just a little bit worse than what happened to Guy in “Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency.”
Video games are always a great way to pass the time and, as an added bonus, you can even take your aggression out with Ken Cosgrove and Harry Crane. Aaron Staton and Rich Somner provide voices for L.A. Noire. (Keep your eyes peeled for Michael Gladis, a.k.a. Paul Kinsey, too!)
Whatever you do, don’t get your countdowns mixed up. While you should definitely still have your Hunger Games countdown (yep, that’s two highly-anticipated pop culture events in the same weekend), mixing your Vodka Gimlet with The Girl Who Was On Fire could prove to be a lethal combination.