V-One Vodka seeks to expand operations in Hadley

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 02-17-2022 8:10 PM

HADLEY — A vodka company founded and based in Hadley, which has made its line of drinks in a 136-year-old distillery in Poland, is looking to begin some production in the community.

Paul Kozub, V-One Vodka’s owner and founder, told the Planning Board this week that he is looking to acquire land off Cemetery Road to construct a 3,000-square-foot building where the company can focus on testing and product development.

“I would like to open up something here in town,” Kozub said. 

Using a farmer distillery license that can be acquired from the state, such a project would allow Kozub to expand on the two acres of spelt, a crop similar to wheat, that is grown on fields on Bay Road and used in making the vodka. 

Kozub said he is eyeing an additional 5.13 acres of land for the crops.

V-One already has its world headquarters in Hadley, located in a former Catholic church building on Route 9 in the town center. The distillery in Poland is where 15,000 liters of vodka can be made in a day.

One possibility for the new facility, Kozub said, is to incorporate into the V-One product some of the fruits already being grown in the same area of town by farmer Joe Czajkowski.

The Planning Board members said they will likely have minimal oversight over the project, as it is considered an agricultural use similar to when other farms have added stores, such as Barstow’s Dairy Store & Bakery and Flayvors of Cook Farm.

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