If you're looking for a bourbon/sour mash whiskey, don't buy anything you've heard of before. Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey - bullshit.
Look for (in order of preference): Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek, Blanton's, or Elijah Craig. The first two are what I would highly, highly recommend. Pappy Van Winkle makes a phenomenal bourbon, but it's a little over $30.
For Vodka's, buy a liter of Tito's. Fancy bottles = bullshit. Tito's is phenomenally simple (which you want a vodka to be, unlike bourbons), competitively priced, and has none of the pretensions of a fancy-bottle-vodka.
Be sure to tell us what you buy.
EDIT: Looks like I'm a second late to the "rally the Tito's troops" party. :lol: