In 1862, Don Facundo Bacardi noticed that rum, the most popular drink in Cuba, was crudely produced and rough to taste. He purchased a small, tin-roofed distillery for 3,500 pesos, in Santiago de Cuba, and dedicated his life to crafting and refining rum. The distillery contained a copper and cast-iron alembic used for distillation. It was also home to a colony of fruit bats that lived in the rafters. The famous logo that is today recognised worldwide was born from Don Facundo’s wife’s suggestion. Dona Amalia suggested the use of the Bat Device to help identify the rums. On the same day, another historic event took place when Don Facundo’s son planted a coconut tree in front of the distillery. Through the years, the distillery grew around the tree, which came to symbolise the birth of rum, as we know it.

In its early years, the company struggled to survive through Cuba’s Ten Year War for Independence and other civil and political disturbances, while Don Facundo continued perfecting his proprietary charcoal-mellowing, blending, and aging techniques. Shortly after winning the third of more than 70 medals at international expositions, Don Facundo retired and entrusted the Company to his eldest son, Emilio, and the secret rum formula to his second son, Facundo. Emilio excelled in business, politics, and the arts and was imprisoned twice for anti-colonial activities. This made him a Cuban patriot. However, Facundo continued to perfect his father's experimentation with the production of rum and created new blends of his own.

Bacardi rum’s balanced flavour and ability to complement other favours inspired bartenders to experiment with it, towards the end of the 19th century. The Mojito, the Daiquiri and the Cuba Libre, signature Bacardi creations, all originated in Cuba during the same time. Today, Bacardi remains a family-owned business, across 150 years of innovation and award-winning initiatives. Through the years, technology and science have rewritten the way in which rum is produced – but the unique formula used by Don Facundo to establish Bacardi rum is still in use today.