Sanitize your carboy, airlock, rubber stopper, and bottles with a no-rinse sanitizer following the product instructions.

Pour 2 gallons of filtered water into your large pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the birch bark, wintergreen leaves, sarsaparilla root, anise seeds, allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon stick, and fresh ginger slice all at once.

Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer gently for 60 minutes without a lid. The liquid will reduce slightly and darken as the botanicals release their oils and flavors.

After the full hour of simmering, add all 3 pounds of cane sugar to the pot while still on the heat. Stir continuously with your wooden spoon until every grain dissolves completely, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and let it cool to room temperature, which typically takes about 1 to 2 hours. Never pitch yeast into hot liquid as it will kill the living cells.

Once the liquid reaches room temperature, pour it through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into your sanitized carboy, using a funnel to minimize splashing. Leave behind as much of the botanical matter as possible.

Sprinkle the champagne yeast directly over the cooled liquid in the carboy, or hydrate it first in a small amount of lukewarm water for 10 minutes if the packet instructs. Within 24 hours, you should see vigorous bubbling activity.

Insert the rubber stopper with the airlock into the carboy and place it in a cool, dark spot between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ferment for 5 to 7 days total until bubbling stops completely.

Carefully siphon the clear liquid off the yeast sediment at the bottom into your sanitized bottles, leaving behind at least an inch of headspace. Dissolve the 0.5 cup of priming sugar in a small amount of boiling water, cool it, and add equal portions to each bottle before capping.

Let the sealed bottles sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks to carbonate before refrigerating and serving.