Last year I had an incredible night with the Rocky Challenge table in Sacramento. I offered people an opportunity to try something weird (drinking raw eggs) and it was a big hit!

Since then, I've set up the Compliment Exchange table a few times, but I always had my mind on creating some kind of physical or psychological challenge.

In August, I came up with a plan: Mystery Shots.

As the name implies, I planned to set up a table offering a shot of an unnamed drink. Would men and women on the street accept a drink from an anonymous table set up on a downtown sidewalk?

I thought people would. When Brooke came into town for a visit, I decided to go find out. Brooke and Stacy are two of the original staff for Cockeyed.com, pursuing strangers in Sacramento for Free Milk Night, Trophy Night and Watermelon Night. They were ready to help and I put them to work!

We found a niche on the sidewalk north of The Depot nightclub, across the street from Comedy Spot.

The setup was a little more complex than other tables I've set up. Besides the sign and table, we brought a ton of shotglasses and six drinks in unmarked containers.

On the front of the table were six red cups, numbered one to six, concealing six shotglasses.

The game was to roll the die, and take the corresponding shot. A volunteer would truly have no idea what he or she was about to drink.

IMMEDIATELY we had customers. Our first customer rolled a six and downed a green shot of sour apple.

Ready for the next brave soul.

They came in groups! One brave/reckless person would drag his gang over and eye the table.

Many people asked us why we were doing this, administering the Mystery Shot Challenge.

"For fun!" we answered. It was fun!

Typically half of the group was trying to talk the adventurer out of this decision.

But, the group could only rarely talk them out of their deed. They rolled the dice and took their shot.

Brooke, Stacy and I agreed to keep the mystery a mystery.

Only after they drank the shot would we reveal what they had just consumed.

"Mystery Shots!" we yelled.

"Yes! It is free!"

Some shots were strong!

I considered a couple of booby prize shots, such as vinegar or lemon juice, but I discarded that idea. A shot of vinegar can really ruin your night.

I wonder if Mystery Shots would work in a bar. Would people pay for a mystery shot? I mean, if regular shots are $5, and mystery shots are a bit less, but you don't know if you are getting 99 Bananas or Fireball... would they sell? I think they would!

We did serve chocolate milk, which was occasionally mistaken for a Kaluha drink.

Women were somewhat less likely to partake in a free shot. They were armed with free comments for us:

"Sounds creepy!"

"Sounds dangerous."

"What is it, a roofie-colada?"

Not everyone struggled to weigh the risks. They saw there were three of us offering drinks and figured we couldn't all be murderous psychopaths.

There were times when we were so busy, we would only have two shotglasses full!

A young group.

20th street near K street in Sacramento is a drinking intersection. Each corner has a bar or a nightclub on it.

We checked a few IDs.

After about two hours, the manager at The Depot came out to talk to me. He said he had just been chided by a police officer for letting one of his bartenders sell shots outside on the sidewalk!

He asked that I move about 100 feet north, to get completely off of the sidewalk associated with his nightclub.

We moved.

It was almost one in the morning when Stacy and Brooke packed up and said goodnight. The creepy factor must have tripled as I stood there alone, but I still had takers.

For a time, a young man stopped to observe the action. He got into the spirit, and at one point dared a dismissive couple to try a mystery shot. "You only live once!"

It. Worked.

They spun on their heels and came back to roll the die.

My final customers left the bars at 2am and wandered past to consider a nightcap. They endulged.

Mystery Shots was a success! An amazing night of courage and trust! We were witness to that moment when a person grabs their own speedo and decides they are ready to cliff-dive. It was beautiful.

Finally, at 2:20am, a police cruiser pulled up. The officers asked if I was serving liquor.

"No, no" I said. "These are just shots of root beer and chocolate milk. No liquor."

Next they asked if this was a one-time thing or if I would be back again regularly.

"One time thing!" I lied.

"Pack it up."

I packed it up.