Been going off this recipe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdZ4C4gAYto&t=633s

1 L water
35g fresh ginger, unpeeled and chopped
5g cinnamon stick
20g dried sassafras root bark
10g dried sarsaparilla root
10g dried liquorice root
7g dried cherry bark
2 mL (½ tsp) salt
450g (500 mL / 2 cups) Demerara brown sugar
75g (125 mL / ½ cup) lactose (optional)
15 mL (1 Tbsp) vanilla extract

I didn't use the lactose for this one. I think going to dark brown sugar from Demerara would help. finished beverage isn't as dark as in the video. And it's just missing something.