For me, "the best" also meant the most affordable & value, to a point.
For clear liquids I used premier clear fruit punch; at 20g per bottle it made getting enough protein "doable" I advise storing in the fridge and then drinking as cold as possible.
And for after that "clear" phase & continuing still today & probably forever in limited fashion - premier shakes. 30g is tops and the flavors are right up there with the expensive stuff.
I also use a bodybuilding protein powder combo for post-workout & run shakes; it's slightly cheaper ($0.875 per serving) than the premier versions but it has other ingredients for muscle growth (and in our case, resisting muscular atrophy).