Behind the Scenes: Beer-drinking Mr. and Mrs. Claus

Most years, Santa comes down the chimney wanting milk with his cookies. This year … Santa wants beer.

At least John Bryant’s Santa does.

Every year, the talented photographers of The Spokesman-Review whip up an original Santa Claus-themed photo to run Christmas Day. In previous years, Gonzaga basketball players, acclaimed chefs, sandwich shop owners and even a NASA astronaut have participated. This year, John and Cindy Bryant of No-Li Brewing are the Mr. and Mrs. Claus on the front page.

“I have one ask,” John Bryant said of his response when asked by Spokesman-Review Editor Rob Curley to be the newspaper’s Santa. “Can you capture a spirit that when somebody sees that on Christmas Day, it makes them relax? It helps them feel part of it, not distant from it.”

With shimmering lights, orange mist, jolly expressions and a Christmas Tree adorned with colorful No-Li beer cans, John Bryant feels like the photo on the front page was approachable, comfortable and portrayed the (though admittedly a bit unorthodox with all the alcohol) warm energy of Christmas.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus clanking beers with the interning elves added an element of camaraderie and further emphasized the importance of bonding with others during the holiday season, he said. Bryant wanted to portray a simple moment that was “perfectly imperfect,” just like real life .

For the Bryants, Christmas isn’t about presents or money; it’s about spending time with the people they care about. Christmas can be a hard and emotional time for families, Bryant said. Growing up, Bryant said he knew all too well the challenges that come with holiday.

The true meaning of Christmas came to him when he was about 6. And it didn’t take a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past for him to realize that Christmas was about more than presents. While bundled up with his four siblings in the back of a station wagon, his parents drove them to a mobile home park of about 15 trailers, located just outside of Shelton, Washington.

“Every single-wide was decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments and displays,” John Bryant said. “And I thought to myself, this must be where all the rich people live.”

Bryant and his siblings were so enchanted that he compared that moment in his life to the scene in “Christmas Vacation” when Clark Griswold finally plugs in the 25,000 lights and has his moment.

Knowing how hard Christmas and life in general can be, John and Cindy Bryant dedicate much of their time and quite a few of their resources toward helping their community. That was also the main reason why The Spokesman-Review asked them to be Mr. and Mrs. Claus this year.

When two firefighters were killed earlier this year in the Canfield Mountain tragedy, the Bryants donated $30,000 through a variety of fundraising efforts to support the families of the fallen heroes. In previous years, they’ve collaborated with charities like the Teen and Kid Closet, Embrace Washington, which supports foster families, and other charities that help provide meals to those in need. When the government shutdown struck and SNAP benefits temporarily froze, Bryant said they moved up their 25 days of Christmas campaign to early November. Through their efforts, they’ve managed to raise thousands of dollars for local organizations of all sorts.

“Not just me and Cindy, but an entire brewery came together,” Bryant said. “There’s 87 people here, and we talk about these things all the time: What makes us different? What makes us special? And what creates different social norms?

“You have to give more than you take, and that’s a fundamental part of being a part of No-Li. You serve others because it makes you better.”