Agreed, but if the goal is a higher proof bourbon like the Wild Turkey 101 try the white label Evan Williams at 100 proof. Still frighteningly affordable.
While on the subject of bourbons and related American whiskies allow me to mention Bulleit Bourbon and also Bulleit Rye. Both are quite respectable and still within the target price range. Buffalo Trace is also produced by the same distillery and is about equal to the Bulleit. Maker's Mark is also pretty good and still in the target price range.
If your preference runs toward Tennessee sour mash instead of bourbon I'd go with George Dickel over its more famous cousin with the black label.
If Canadian whisky is your thing try Ellington Reserve - I like it better than Crown Royal and its less generally less money.
For Irish whisky its hard to top Jameson's for the price.
Blended Scotch is a bit like kissing your sister but if you're determined to do it try J&B Rare.
Single malt Scotch is so varied in style its hard to narrow it down to one but a good place to start in the target price range might be Speyburn for a lighter highland style and Bowmore for a heavier island style. Laphroaig is at the very upper end of the price range if you can get it from Costco. It is advertised as "the most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies". Translation: its a very heavy island whisky and if you don't like drinking it straight up you can probably use it for cooking instead of buying Liquid Smoke at the grocery store.
I'm not a big fan of vodka but the Dutch seem to do a passable job of making it so I would recommend Ketel One.
Rum is also something with a vast range of styles but my hands down favorite for years has been Pusser's British Navy Rum. Most anything from the island of Barbados will be acceptable in terms of quality. Mount Gay is a perfectly good example. Jamaican rum is good but not generally in the same class as Barbadian rum and the good stuff gets out of your target price range. I don't care for Puerto Rican rums as a rule but they do have the advantage of being generally low priced if all you're going to do is use them with mixers. Guyana is producing a lot of rum these days and some of it is actually pretty decent but its not going to be found at the grocery store liquor section. Stay away from "spiced" rum and other flavored rums - no bueno.
Tequila has become wildly popular over the last decade or so and the prices for the good stuff have escalated dramatically but you can still get a nice bottle of Sauza Hornitos Reposado that is good for sipping or mixing in your price range. Again, lots of styles but to me the Sauza stands out from the rest of the mass market stuff like Jose Quervo and 1800.
In my experience you really can't get a decent bottle of brandy or cognac in your target price range. Decent quality seems to start between $35 and $55 bucks a bottle.
I haven't really listed any of the less mainstream stuff but if you want to know about anything else specifically just ask.
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