Two V-One Vodkas Receive Top Honors at Warsaw Spirits Competition

HADLEY — Valley Vodka Inc. announced that its V-One Original and its new V-One Peppermint were honored with two of the highest awards, the Double Gold medal, at the Warsaw Spirits Competition this month.

Now in its third year, the number of entries and producers in the Warsaw Spirits Competition was record-breaking, with hundreds of alcoholic beverages from more than 25 countries in this year’s tasting. Because of COVID-19, all alcohols were blind-tasted over a 45-day period.

“V-One Vodka has won numerous awards over the last 15 years, but to be rated Double Gold at such a prestigious tasting in the birthplace of vodka is mind-blowing. Poland has an over 700-year history with vodka production. It is like creating a champagne and winning best sparkling wine in France,” said Paul Kozub, owner and founder of V-One Vodka. “I started V-One with $6,000 and a dream of creating the world’s most drinkable vodka; winning this award is beyond my wildest expectations.”

At age 27, Kozub started crafting vodka in the basement of his Hadley home to honor his recently deceased Polish grandfather and entrepreneurial father. Two years later, he took his recipe to Poland, where it has been crafted since 2005. In the summer of 2019, Valley Vodka Inc. completed a multi-million-dollar purchase and 12,000-square-foot expansion of the company’s own distillery in Kamień, Poland, about two hours southeast of the capital of Warsaw and just a few miles from the birthplace of vodka.