Both are made of liquor and hot water, with Amaro toddies incorporating spices like citrus, cinnamon, black pepper, and clove, while hot toddies add lemon juice, spices, and honey.
Hot toddies are made with a barrel-aged spirit like whiskey, and Amaro toddies can use any digestif from the fruity Aperol to chocolatey Ramazzotti or Averna with caramel notes.
In general, hot toddies are much sweeter to bring out the notes of the barrel-aged liquor, but Averna toddies let the liqueur take center stage and have a slightly bitter taste.
However, there is so much variability in both cocktails, from the liquor used to the sweeteners and spices incorporated, that some toddies blur the lines between each style.