If I'm giving a friend a quick hug, and someone says something like "Eww, why do you guys hug each other?", I simply reach for the same friend, hug him again, but this time, I squeeze his ass, and as I look over his shoulder at the person who asked the question, I say, "Oh honey, this is just the stuff we do in public."
In seriousness, there's no problem with men giving each other hugs, provided they are quick macho hugs, and aren't done too often, in my opinion.