The distillery contained a copper and cast-iron alembic used for the distillation of rum. It was also home to a colony of fruit bats that lived in the rafters. In order for his BACARDI rums to become identifiable and sell, his wife Doña Amalia suggested the use of the Bat Device as the symbol for his rums. Shortly thereafter, his creation became known by the people as el Ron del Murciélago, or "the Rum of the Bat."

On that very day, a highly symbolic act took place. Don Facundo's second son, his namesake Facundo, planted a coconut palm in front of the distillery.

The palm took root and came to symbolize the birth of rum, as we know it. During the early years, as the Company struggled to survive during Cuba's Ten Years' War for Independence and subsequent Guerra Chiquita, the distillery grew around the palm 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.