Depends

Cheapest beer is sulphur + urine. Next step you get actual beer. After that you have craft beer...and that's mixed bag. Every beer with "light" in name is piss. Either commit and drink 0%, which taste less beery but better, or drink normal but a bit pricier.

Cheapest whiskey is vodka with coloring and less %. There is no good cheapish whiskey, but if you drink for taste and occasionally, one bottle can last long enough to justify expense.

I don't drink vodka, every type I drank was just a hammer to the brain without anything taste wise. I mean dunno, not my kinda fun.

Drinks are fun but, ultimately, all they do is try to mask alcohol...and non-alcoholic versions taste better xD

With everything else I have little to no experience, and I never aim to get hammered so these are my blindspots xD