Root Beer Baked Beans

Name: Root Beer Baked Beans
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 large white onion, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; Two 12-ounce bottles root beer; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons molasses; 1 tablespoon grainy mustard; Hefty pinch red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, store bought or homemade, recipe follows; Four 14-ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 3 large cinnamon sticks (if you have the kind you get at Indian stores, it's about 3 tablespoons of cinnamon bark bits); 3 tablespoons whole cloves; 1/4 cup green cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 2 tablespoons of seeds); 4 large black cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 1 tablespoon of seeds), optional