The Project host makes surprise on-air confession: ‘It was probably illegal’

With prices of alcohol once again soaring in Australia, one of the star’s of The Project made a surprise confession on Friday about once breaking the law.

As beer lovers around Australia prepare to feel the pinch of rising prices next month, one of the star’s of The Project made a confession about their own alcohol habits that raised eyebrows on the panel.

Currently, an average pint costs $12. However, once the tax hikes come in, it will cost 15 bucks. Cocktails are set to be hit too, with prices set to rise to over $24.

The Project star Michael Hing made a confession on Friday's episode of the show. Picture from Twitter.

With all the furore being caused by the move, the stars of The Project on Friday discussed ways to save cash as Aussie’s face rising prices while already struggling to make end’s meet.

Panellist Nick Cody questioned whether the new rules could see a rise in “home brewing”, saying: “The scary thing is, it may encourage home brewing. The late 2000s, early 2010s, where, I guess, people were struggling a bit, I would brew a lot of beer at home. You would go to a party, and everyone is, hey try this, I brewed it my bathtub. You feel obliged to do it. It was inevitably poison.”

“Did you do this, Michael?” questioned star Susie Youssef.

Panellist Micheal Hing then revealed while he hadn’t given beer he try, he’d instead gone straight for harder spirits.

“I had a crack at vodka,” he revealed. “It was pretty …”

“Drinking it or making it?’ interjected his co-host, to which the presenter revealed he’d given both a try back in the day.

“Both!” he laughed. “I had a crack making vodka, also it may have been illegal.”

Hing would be right, and was thankfully very lucky, as currently, while beer is a different beast entirely, making alcoholic spirits at home in Australia is illegal without a licence and can even end up being deadly.

Hing revealed that he has previously attempted to brew his own alcoholic spirits, which is currently illegal in Australia due to health risks. Picture from Twitter.

Beer and wine can be made legally at home for personal consumption, but a licence is needed to make spirits, even if it is intended only for personal use.

Director of the National Drug Research Institute, Steve Allsop, told SBS that distilling alcohol is extremely risky.

“The distillation itself if not properly attended to, can result in toxins being formed, but also it’s very hard to understand chemicals or what products people have used in the manufacturing process. So sometimes people will use products, which are inherently dangerous, like products for industrial processes.”

In 2013 three people died and one suffered partial blindness in Aus when they ingested a homemade beverage containing methanol.

Queensland residents Joel Lynam, 21, and Bryan Wilmot, 30, both died after indulging in a home-brewed batch of the Italian spirit, grappa.

Originally published as The Project host makes surprise on-air confession: ‘It was probably illegal’