Fresh is best. Homebrews and craft beers usually have living yeast in them so they will develop and change in taste over time, and attain a peak, well, 'ripeness' when they're best to drink. (Mass market beers, not so much: they can just pasteurise to ensure standardisation, carbonate them if necessary, and I believe use nitrogen to ensure a good foamy head.) I think a beer would be at peak ripeness at about 4-5 weeks after you start fermenting.
Also, presentation helps. Pretty sure most folks around here would have their own brew style - 'weird', 'herbal', 'lots of hops', 'dark beers', 'yeasty', whatever - and once you have your own style, you can really present it to others that way. My own style is kind of a mix of 'weird', 'herbal', and 'historical', and when I give others beers I often like to present it that way. I tie a string round the top and put a cardboard label through that string - or put a sticker on the side describing the ingredients within. If people come over for a drink or two, I like to cook a meal and a dessert to go with the beers to show off their flavours. I guess if you think of the beer not as an alternative to mass market beer, but in terms of the flavours you want and your own personal style, that will be reflected in it when you give it to others.
