Legend says that during the summer of 1880, a group of picnickers drove their buggies down to the beach for an afternoon of fun. When spreading their feast on the beach, someone suggested, so the story goes, that a "spot" of rye would wash down their lunch. While opening the bottle, the rye whiskey spilled out onto the beach. One of the picnickers proclaimed, "We will have to call this Rye Beach!"