Just deflate the tire a bit and inflate it once it's on your bike.

That might be a hassle, but tires are such an important element on your bike I'd give the right tire priority over some extra work with the pump.

Of course you could also replace your brakes if you really didn't want to deal with the clearance issue.

A 2.1" tire should clear the brakes on any MTB with the brakes released. What sort of bike did you have these clearance issues on?

safe riding,

Vik